Happily Ever After?
by silvernatasha
Summary: ***COMPLETED*** The sequel to 'So What Now?'. After seven years at Hogwarts the gang are ready for the real world, but is the real world ready for them?
1. Chapter One

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** This is the sequel to_ So What Now?_ The story is set after Hogwarts. Seven years has prepared the Dream Team and their friends and they're now ready for the real world, but is the real world ready for them?_

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter One**

*** 

  
  


From the outside it looked like any normal house built during the Victorian era. But, as everyone learns at some point in their lives, appearances can be deceiving. There were three storeys and a sweeping lawn behind the house. In front of the building was a perfectly kept flower garden. A couple of apple trees could been seen around one side of the house, and there was ivy trailing its way up the front of it. 

Of course, the inside of the house in no way reflected the outside. it was inhabited by five witches and wizards, and the rooms of the house varied as much as the occupants. There were ten bedrooms (though only one bathroom), an extensive library of both Wizard and Muggle texts, a large and airy kitchen, a living room a bright, light-filled conservatory and a large room with no real purpose that they had dubbed the 'other room'. 

The five people who lived in this rather odd house (which housed a total of eight ghouls in the attic), had left the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry nearly a year previously. 

Hermione Granger was the sensible, studious member of the household. The library was her save-haven. About six months beforehand she had suffered an identity crisis at the demise of her parents in a car crash. She had quit her job as a manager at flourish and Blotts and dropped all plans of becoming a lawyer. She had cut her flowing brown locks short so they hung a couple of inches above her shoulders and become a professional freelance photographer, something she had wanted to do from an early age. 

Her fiancee, Harry Potter, along with the rest of the household not to mention their friends, had been shocked by this at first, but had now come to accept it. Harry played professional Quidditch for the Montrose Magpies and the England squad, who he had represented a total of six times to date. With his athletic build and raven hair, Harry could have had any girl he wanted, and he did. He had proposed to Hermione just three days before they had left Hogwarts. 

Their best friend, Ron Weasley, was the third member of the abstract household. He worked for the Ministry of Magic in the Department for International Co-operation. He was the junior Ambassador for Australia. He was the youngest boy in his family, and somehow growing up in a large family had affected him a lot. He tended to 'mother' his friends, and had quite a flair when it came to cooking. His youngest and only sister, Ginny was due to move in with the group when she finished Hogwarts that year. 

Ginny's boyfriend, Seamus, had hated the past year without her. They would send dozens of owls back and forth to Hogwarts with love letters attached. Ron would sometimes get annoyed when he wanted to use his owl, Pigwidgeon, and it was missing, taking a letter to Ginny, but he had to remember that he and Lavender had set the two up in the first place. 

Lavender was Ron's girlfriend, and the two cared a lot about each other. They had gone through a rough patch a few months before, and split up, but they had got back together again. There had never been any talk of marriage between the two, and many thought they probably wouldn't bother. 

Life in the Cottage, for that was the name which hung proudly above the door even though it was most definitely not a cottage, was never normal. In fact, none of them really knew what normal was. 

"Ron! Get out of there now!" Hermione yelled through the thick bathroom door to her friend. Having just one bathroom in a house with five, soon to be six, people was tough. 

"I'll be out in a minute!" Ron called back through the hiss of the shower. 

Hermione sighed and stomped downstairs to the kitchen. "What's the matter, Hermione?" asked Harry pushing his glasses up his nose so they were more comfortable. His bag which contained his Quidditch robes (his England ones) was lying on the table beside him. He threw a couple of bottles of water in there and zipped it up. 

"Ron's hogging the bathroom. He says he'll be out in a minute, but he said that ten minutes ago!" Angrily, she pulled her wand from the pocket on her dark blue work robes and flung open what seemed to be a cupboard door in the corner of the kitchen. She placed the tip of her wand on the hot water tank and muttered an incantation under her breath. A few seconds later a furious yelled came from the bathroom and Hermione smiled: she had frozen the water so Ron had a cold shower. She turned back to Harry. "Revenge is sweet," she told him. She closed the cupboard door with a flick of her wand, just as Ron stormed into the kitchen. 

"What the bloody hell did you just do?" he demanded, his red hair sopping wet and his modesty covered by just a towel. 

Hermione grinned wickedly. "Got you out of the bathroom," she told him simply. She waltzed past him on her way out of the kitchen, her wand still in her hand. Just as she was about to leave the room, she flicked her wand again, and Ron's towel disappeared. 

"Hermione!" wailed Harry, "I am trying to eat my breakfast, you know!" 

***

Hermione returned home from work that evening to find she and Harry were the only one's in the house. Ron had received an urgent owl from his boss and had taken a Portkey to New South Wales. He was likely to away for several days. As it was a weekday, Lavender was at Hogwarts where she taught Divination and Seamus had to work late. He worked as a technician for the Nimbus Corporation. No-one was quite sure what the Nimbus Corporation did, though. 

At last a chance alone with my favourite girlfriend," said Harry smiling as Hermione settled herself next to him on one of the large blue couch's which inhabited the living room. The living room was a large and airy space, but at the same time it provided a cosy environment and relief from the outside world. The walls were painted an off-white colour, and all the colour in the room was provided by the furniture and the paintings and photographs which hung on the walls. 

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Your favourite girlfriend? How many girlfriends do you have exactly?" 

Harry seemed to consider this for a second before saying, "Well, I lost track a while ago..." Hermione hit him playfully in the chest and he grinned at her, showing off his white teeth. "So how's your day been?" he asked. 

Hermione groaned. "Bad. I was taking some pictures for the DP and the model was totally uncooperative. She had a real model's attitude and expected me to obey to her beck and call!" The DP was what Hermione had dubbed the Daily Prophet. 

Harry grimaced. "Sounds like a nightmare. What about the rest of the week?" 

"Well, tomorrow I'm... there's a Muggle film premiere that my boss wants me to cover." 

"The new Spielberg flick?" 

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. Why on earth a respectable wizard like him would _choose_ to work with Muggles all day is beyond me, and I'm a Muggle born!" 

"A lot of the actors are wizards," Harry reminded her and she nodded reluctantly. 

"Wednesday's a difficult day," she told him. "See, I have to photograph a couple of people I know." 

"Really?" asked Harry, smoothing down her hair. Hermione always had a bit of difficulty photographing people she knew, especially her close friends. "Who?" 

"My fiancee, can you believe!" she said in mock horror. "I have to take the official England portraits." 

"Make sure you get my best side," Harry warned her, kissing her forehead. 

She smiled. "Every side is your best side." She kissed him gently on the lips. "I have Thursday off and Friday I have to do an article about a month in the life of the Holyhead Harpies, Britain's only all-female team." She tilted her head to one side, deep in thought. "Actually, on Thursday I might think up a shorter name for the article." 

"What about Saturday evening?" Harry inquired. "Are you going hunting?" Hunting was the term Hermione used when referring to celebrity hunting - something she enjoyed as it gave her a chance to play paparazzi. 

"Only if nothing better comes up," Hermione said. 

"How about a candlelit dinner for two at _Le Petit Choux_?" 

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked in awe. _Le Petit Choux_ was her favourite resturant of all time, though she seldom visited it, due to the enormous cost of even a small meal. Harry nodded. 

"I though that we really should celebrate one year since we got engaged." 

Hermione looked down at the ring which she wore with pride on her left hand. "It's amazing that the press haven't found out about it yet," she commented. 

"They will find out about it eventually, after all, I am the Boy Who Lived." 

"The _Man_ Who Lived," Hermione reminded him teasingly, poking him in the chest with a manicured finger. 

"Quite," agreed Harry, kissing her gently. But, as with almost all kisses between the two it soon became much deeper and more heated. The two became totally engrossed in each other, their hands roaming and trying to pull the others clothes off. 

"Hi, honey, I'm home!" Seamus's Irish brogue echoed through the house in a mocking tone, bringing their kissing to an abrupt stop. 

"Damn him," Harry muttered, trying to pull his burgundy coloured shirt on straight. 

"He doesn't have to know we're here," Hermione whispered in his ear. She caught his eye and he nodded. Together, they Apparated upstairs to the privacy of Hermione's den, which was one of the spare bedrooms she had turned into her haven. 

***

_**A/N:** This is the first chapter of what is promising to be quite a long fic. I have no real plot set out for it and I'm not heading in any particular direction, though I have some rough ideas of what I want to do with it. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to tell me in a review or email me at gnashgnash2001@hotmail.com. Please can I have ten reviews? Please?_

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Eleven of _So What Now?_:_   
Oliverwoodschic - She said yes! I'm glad you're happy! :)   
Holly Rachael Zintel - 'Absolute perfection'? Thank you, that is so kind!   
PopPrincePrincessJustinBritney4ever - Thanx!   
Kaitzee - Here's the sequel!   
Satans Little Princess - Is this soon enough for you? :)   
ms. potter - Well, you've got a sequel now to keep you happy when you look at the Harry/Hermione romance section!   
Geneathen - Don't worry, there should be some sort of Ginny/Seamus interaction in this fic, I promise!   
moongoddess - Thanx!   
Abby-Potter - Yet another person telling me I'm a great writer - I'm so happy!   
sugar-n-spice - Thanx! P.S. I've always said 'Death warmed up'.   
Harry + Hermione 2gether 4ever - Thanx!   
AznGolDragonGod - Hmm... I suppose you're right about the title, but I think of it more as life's not always going to be good for them and it's not a storybook - things will go wrong and life will be difficult.   
angel eyes - Thanx!   
Perire Dea - Thanx!   
redlion - I love it when people put my fics on their faves list!   
amy potter - H/Hr forever!   
E. C. R. Potter - Yup, there's gonne be a wedding... eventually.   
Fiona - Thanx!   
Heaven - Thanx!   
Noodlejelly - No, don't hurt me! Don't worry - Harry and Hermione won't split up, I promise!   
Mir-Kitty - Thanx!   
Sovern Of Silence - Thanx! (I'm running out of nice things to say, if anyone had noticed)   
Panny-Plan - All good things must come to an end, I'm afraid. Don't worry, I will write about the wedding in this fic! I'm telling you why I almost fell out of my seat... you'll just have to wait and see! 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	2. Chapter Two

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Here's chapter two, dedicated to **Shockolatt** who I didn't mention in the previous chapter! So sorry about that!_

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Two**

*** 

  
  


_Le Petit Choux_ was probably the most exclusive restaurant in Diagon Alley. From the outside it looked like nothing special, but once you walked through the glass doors it was like stepping into another world. 

It was like stepping back into another time, a classier, more sophisticated time. It was one of those places where you'd feel underdressed if you were wearing just one diamond necklace. Looking round, Hermione was sure there was a three necklace minimum. She herself was wearing dark blue dress robes which shimmered slightly in the candlelight. She had a simple gold chain around her neck which had just a single diamond hanging from it. Harry was wearing a pair of dark forest green robes which brought out the colour of his eyes. 

Gentle music was being played by a string quartet and the staff wore elegant suits. The moment Harry and Hermione entered the establishment, a smartly dressed waiter appeared. "'Ow many I be of assistance, Monsieur?" he asked in a distinct French accent. 

"Table for two in the name of Potter," Harry told him. Hermione watched in slight amusement as the waiter's eyes flicked up to Harry's hairline to check for the scar. When he spotted it, he nodded and said: 

"Of course, Monsieur, Mademoiselle. Let me escort you to your table." 

He led them to a table in the corner of the restaurant and presented them with a wine-coloured velvet menu. He reeled off the specials then disappeared off somewhere else, probably to warn his staff that _the_ Harry Potter was in the restaurant with his girlfriend. 

"I thought you hated the celebrity treatment?" Hermione said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at him. 

"When it comes to you I don't mind," Harry told her honestly. "I want you to have the best." 

Hermione blushed slightly. "I already do," she replied, holding his hand across the pristine cream linen tablecloth. Harry smiled and kissed her fingers. The small diamond ring on Hermione finger flashed in the light. A second later there was another flash, though it was much brighter and didn't come from Hermione's ring. 

Hermione suddenly dropped her hand from Harry's and paled. "What is it?" Harry asked. 

"Nothing," she told him shakily, "it's just that tomorrow morning news that the famous Harry Potter is to be married with be splashed across every newspaper on the globe." She sighed. "By the time we leave the restaurant there'll be hundreds of photographers and journalists crowded outside." 

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. She nodded. 

"I'm sure. Heck, if I wasn't the one marrying you I'd be the one taking the picture!" 

Harry took a long drink from his glass of water. "To be honest, I don't really care who knows," he told her. "It's not like it's going to make a difference." 

"I suppose," said Hermione. "You do realise we're going to have to really start planning now, don't you?" 

He nodded. "Yeah." He held her hand once more and said, "But like I said: I don't care. I just want to be married to you." Hermione smiled happily, a red tinge appeared on her cheeks. 

***

As Hermione had predicted, there had been hoards of reporters waiting outside the restaurant. They had been almost blinded by flashbulbs as they raced to their car. The morning newspapers were full of pictures of the two of them. Some of the pictures were of the previous night, though others were older, some even dating from their early Hogwarts years. 

The Daily Prophet had made something of a feature of the news. There were pictures, interviews with people who had been at Hogwarts at the same time as them (even though neither Harry nor Hermione knew the people well), and even predictions about their relationship by several Seers. 

Much to both Harry and Hermione's chagrin, Ron had insisted on keeping copies of every single newspaper for 'future reference'. "Your children are going to cherish these one day," he told Harry as Harry washed the dishes from their evening meal. 

"Hermione and myself are not having any children yet," Harry had reminded his friend firmly, brandishing a wet dishcloth at him. 

"_Yet_," said Ron grinning, as he carefully snipped around the last picture of Harry and Hermione and stuck it carefully into a large scrapbook. "Eventually." 

"Yes, eventually. Hey - we could say the same thing about Lavender and yourself. When are you going to pop the question?" 

Ron flushed and mumbled something incoherent under his breath. 

"What was that, Ron? I didn't quite hear you." Harry grinned wickedly at Ron's discomfort. 

Ron rolled his eyes. "I'm thinking about Christmas," he admitted, his eyes focused on the lid of the bottle of glue which he was try, unsuccessfully, to screw up. 

"Really?" asked Harry in amazement. That wasn't the answer he had been expecting. Ron and Lavender constantly insisted they weren't ready to settle down yet, and probably wouldn't get married for a few years. Ron shrugged. 

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like we have to get married right away. You and Hermione had hid your engagement for a year! Have you even started planning the wedding yet?" 

"We've just started," said Harry defensively. 

"Well, don't hesitate to ask me and lavender for help. Hey - Ginny'll be here in a couple of weeks, I'm sure she'll help." 

'Why do I get this feeling this is going to take over my entire life?' Harry asked himself silently as he set the last plate on the drying rack and left the kitchen to get ready for Quidditch practise. 

***

Harry was just finishing his breakfast two days later as the morning post owls arrived. Hermione quickly picked the letters up at began to sort through the many envelopes, placing them in different piles. 

"Bill, tabloid, tabloid, love letter, howler..." she threw the smouldering envelope into a bucket of water she had placed by the table. A couple seconds later there was a strange gurgling from the bucket and smoke arose from the water's surface. Hermione shook her head and continued to sort the letters. "Glossy mag, tabloid, tabloid, glossy tabloid..." She skimmed through the rest of the letters in a record time before disposing of a great deal of them. 

Since news of their engagement had been confirmed, Harry had received hundreds of love letters from hormone-ridden teenagers world-wide who all thought Hermione wasn't good enough for him. Hermione had received several dozen howlers, hence the reason she kept a bucket of water nearby when reading the mail. 

"When are they going to get the idea that we're not selling our wedding pictures?" asked Harry, opening one of the letters. He shredded the parchment and banished it with his wand to the bin which stood in the corner of the room. 

"They're not. Even on our wedding day there'll be photographers lurking around trying to get a shot of us and bribing our guests to let them use Polyjuice potion!" said Hermione tearing another letter which had offered the couple a ludicrous amount of money. 

"They do that?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded a slight pink tinge on her cheeks. "Hermione have you ever done that?" he asked. Hermione blushed slightly more. "I'll take that as a yes," Harry said. 

"It was only once!" Hermione protested. "Anyway, they annulled the marriage before we could even publish the pictures." She pouted in disappointment and Harry said: 

"People can be so inconsiderate." Hermione scowled and sent sparks at him from her wand. 

Seamus strolled into the kitchen at that moment, thus saving them from what could have become a blazing row. He was wearing his usual work robes, even though his Muggle trainers could be seen beneath them. "Morning, all," he said brightly. He busied himself with the toaster, making his breakfast. 

Harry and Hermione looked at each other in surprise. Seamus wasn't exactly a morning person, and as he started to whistle a jaunty tune, Harry cleared his throat. "Are you feeling all right, Seamus? You don't seem yourself." 

"What because I'm not half asleep and moaning that it's too early?" asked Seamus without turning around. 

"Yeah," said Harry. "What's up with that?" 

"Nothin'. Well, Ginny's moving in a couple of weeks from now, but that's about it." 

Harry smiled knowingly. The past year apart from Ginny had been torturous for Seamus. Suddenly Hermione groaned and the sound of a piece of parchment being screwed up could be heard. 

"Guess what?" she asked. "They loved my pictures of the England squad." 

"What's the problem then?" asked Harry confused. 

"They want more. I've got to go in for another photo shoot today." 

"That means we get to spend the day together!" Harry said, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around the waste. Hermione leaned back on him, enjoying the security of his embrace. She nodded and Harry kissed her cheek. He began to kiss her neck and Hermione giggled slightly, turning around so they were facing each other. 

They kissed softly and Seamus turned around, holding his plate of toast. "Oh, gawd. Not now! It's too early!" 

Harry chuckled. Loosening his grip on Hermione he said, "Ah, now _there's_ the Seamus we all know and pretend to love!" 

Seamus narrowed his eyes and scowled, muttering something under his breath that would have made a sailor blush. Grinning Harry and Hermione continued with one of their favourite pastimes: kissing. 

***

_**A/N:** _

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter One:_   
Dark Moon - Thanx!   
ShockoLatt - Thanx, sorry you didn't get recognition. I felt so bad about it that I dedicated the chapter to you :)   
Harry + Hermione 2gether 4ever - Thanx!   
AznGolDragonGod - Ginny will make an appearance soon. The next chapter, I think.   
Noodlejelly - Wow! What an amazing idea. Unfortunately this isn't a fairytale.   
ms. potter - I'm not quite sure when the wedding will happen, but it will, don't worry!   
Satans Little Princess - Thanx!   
Heaven - Thanx, I always find the first and last chapters the most difficult to write!   
MrsBritneyPotter - She probably will eventually - I have a whole storyline beginning to form in my mind.   
Oliverwoodschic - I read your fanfic! It's really good. Sorry I didn't review it!   
Emili Potter - You read all my stories? Wow.   
Sucker For Romance - I've written more!   
Abby-Potter - I'm glad you like them!   
E. C. R. Potter - I can't wait to see what comes next either! :)   
hermioneharry4ever - I do get a fair few 'continue' reviews, but I like them - it means people actually want to read my work! About _Harry Potter & the Age of Apocalypse_, I have like the first three chapters written, but to be honest, I've lost interest since I picked up writing _The Matchmakers_, I mean, I'm writing the sequel to the sequel! I'm going to post the second chapter, though, just for you!   
Panny-Plan - Yeah, the house is pretty cool. The eight ghouls in the attic can be a bit annoying though, I'd imagine! There are probably a lot of other mysteries in the house as well.   
sugar-n-spice - That proves my theory that cats are evil - yours is stopping you from reviewing!   
Kori Bischoff - Hermione as a photographer is kind of unusual, isn't it? Thing is, in every other after Hogwarts fic, she's a doctor or a teacher or something equally boring. 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	3. Chapter Three

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** I am very happy - 31 reviews for just two chapters! Yay! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! This chapter is dedicated to **Panny-Plan** who I think can read my mind sometimes. (You can finally discover why I almost fell out of my chair when I read your review for_ So What Now?_). Now for the story..._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Three**

*** 

  
  


The training ground for the England Quidditch Squad was rather impressive. It was what had been the World Cup stadium several years before. It was absolutely huge - there was no other way to describe it. One could easily get lost inside it, and several frequently did. Once, a game against Sweden had been postponed for half an hour when one of the Swedish played got lost on their way from the changing rooms to the pitch. 

Hermione stood on the pitch waiting for the players. The people who were paying her to take the pictures had specifically asked for action shots and pictures on the pitch. She was just setting up one of her cameras when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see the grinning face of Draco Malfoy. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked. 

"I'm fine, thanks, how are you?" 

"Oh, sorry," apologised Hermione. "I'm fine. I suppose your significant other is around here somewhere?" Hermione was, of course, referring to Padma Patil who was one of the Chasers for the England Squad. She had been at Hogwarts and was a friend of Hermione's. She and Harry were a couple of the best players to come out of Hogwarts for several years. She had been the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain and was now a valued member of the England Squad, not to mention a huge hit with male Quidditch fans. 

"I believe she's getting changed. So how are you coping now your dirty secret's out in the open?" 

"Which one?" asked Hermione cheekily, placing the cap on her camera lens. 

"The engagement," said Draco rolling his eyes. He knew Hermione was just teasing him. 

"I have had fifty Howlers this week," Hermione told him with a wry smile, picking up another camera. She held it up to her eye and fiddled with a few things. She took a picture of Draco and grinned at him. "Harry has had roughly two hundred love letters." She shrugged. "It's been a pretty normal week." 

"I don't think I want to know what an abnormal week is!" said Draco. 

"Are you hitting on my fiancee, Malfoy?" asked a voice behind the two of them. 

"I hope he isn't!" piped up another voice. "He told me he was in love with me!" 

"He probably says that to all the pretty girls," said the first voice. 

With a sigh, Hermione turned around. Harry and Padma were standing three, decked out in their Quidditch robes. The England kit consisted of navy blue trousers and a navy jersey with a red stripe running through it, underneath a set of white robes. The robes proudly displayed the three lions insignia, which was also worn by the Muggle football team and various other Muggle national teams. 

Harry was clutching his highly polished Firebolt Infinity, while Padma held her regular Firebolt, something she was paid to advertise. 

"Why would I hit on her when I have you?" asked Draco, putting a protective arm around Padma. 

"Hi, Harry," said Hermione as Harry placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "How are you?" 

"The same as when you asked me half an hour ago," said Harry. Hermione smiled and allowed herself to be drawn into a deep kiss. 

"Hey Potter!" a cheeky Scottish voice called over the pitch. "I'd take your hands off that photographer if I were you - anyone would think there was something going on between you!" 

"We can't have that now, can we, Oliver?" Harry called back. A smirking Oliver Wood, England Keeper, ambled over to them. 

"Hello again, Oliver," said Hermione. 

"Ah, Hermione! As ravishing as ever. How long has it been since I saw you last? Two, three months?" 

"Five days. I was here last Wednesday." 

"Ah." 

Padma leaned over to Hermione. "He got hit in the head with a Bludger a couple of days ago. His short-term memory is a bit dodgy. Bear with him. He keeps calling me Parvati!" Parvati was Padma's twin sister, though Parvati had been in Gryffindor with Harry, Hermione and Oliver while Padma had been a Ravenclaw. Draco had been a Slytherin. 

The rest of the England team arrived shortly. They comprised of the two Beaters, a couple of solid men in their late twenties and two other Chasers, one male and one female. The captain of the team was the male Chaser, a chirpy Geordie by the name of Ed Leigh. 

"Oh, Oliver," said Hermione suddenly. "The Daily Prophet want me to do an interview with you, is that all right?" 

Oliver shrugged. "Sure, whatever." He was just about to ask when she wanted to do the interview when Hermione whipped out a pad of parchment from her robes. 

"Tell me, what's it like being the only Scottish member of the team?" asked Hermione. "And while we're on the subject, how _did_ you get onto the team if you're Scottish?" 

Oliver had only recently joined the team, slightly before Harry and Padma. The last England Keeper had retired and was currently living somewhere in the Caribbean, glad to be away from the Bludgers. "It's okay," Oliver replied. "Some of the fans think it's a bit unfair, but since my grandparents on my mothers side are English I'm perfectly eligible to be on the team." 

Someone hollered across the pitch to the three teams members, and reluctantly they had to leave, so that they could practise. They had an upcoming match against Wales, and were anxious to beat them. The Quidditch World Cup was to be held in two months, slightly later than normal, but only because it was to be held in Australia, and it was currently winter over there. 

***

Ginny Weasley arrived at the house two weeks later, having finally completed her last year at Hogwarts. She had been Hermione's successor as Head Girl, and like Hermione had been just after leaving the school, was slightly depressed for a couple of days. 

Harry and Hermione were rather amused to see that Ron had placed his sister in the bedroom furthest away from Seamus's. 

When she finally started to perk up, she began scouring the Daily Prophet and any other newspaper she could for jobs. She was perfectly qualified for several jobs, though deciding what exactly she wanted to do with her life was a hard choice to make. Eventually a job caught her eye and she soon started working at a publishers in Diagon Alley as an editor. 

When she wasn't working, however, she would be busily discussing Harry and Hermione's wedding with Lavender, Ron and Seamus. Preparations for the big day were starting to come along nicely, although things could get a bit heated at the Cottage sometimes when Lavender and Ginny would argue about arrangements. When they argued, Hermione tended to slip quietly from the room and do something more constructive, like develop photos or watch paint dry. 

Luckily for Harry and Hermione, the World Cup came around quickly. The two of them were incredibly glad to be going to Australia, not only was it a place Hermione wanted to go, but it gave them a chance to spend some time together without their interfering housemates around. Hermione had been appointed as one of the official photographers for the World Cup, though she wasn't sure whether this was because of her skill, or because of her proximity to Harry. 

The competitors were housed in several large mansions around the Australian bush. That was one of the advantages of hosting the World Cup in Australia - there was plenty of space to hold the games and build a proper pitch without Muggles noticing. The England team had a very large house, and Hermione was staying with them. She and Harry had practically a whole floor of the mansion to themselves, except for one bedroom which was occupied by Trisha McLean, one of the Chasers. Off the pitch she was rather timid and shy, but once she got on a broomstick she was as agressive as anything and obviously one of Englands best. 

Near the end of the World Cup, England were doing amazingly well - much better than they had at the previous World Cup. They had alreadybeaten the reigning champions, Ireland, and the team which they had beaten to win the title, Bulgaria. This had given Hermione a chance to meet up with an old friend, not to mention boyfriend, of hers, Viktor Krum. 

During a day when England wasn't playing at match, Harry and Hermione took the oppourtunity to do some sunbathing. 

Hermione was wearing a pair of navy shorts and her shimmering sky blue bikini top as the weather was incredibly good. Harry, on the other hand, wore a pair of khaki shorts and a cream coloured shirt which he had left unbuttoned because of the heat. 

The high stone wall which surrounded the mansion provided plenty of privacy for their sunbathing, and Harry had hung a hammock between two of the apple trees. Their leafy shade cast a dappled light on him as the late afternoon sun beat down. Hermione joined him on the hammock and they lay there in quiet contemplation, just enjoying each others presence. Sometimes they didn't need to say anything just to enjoy being around each other. 

"Do ever feel that this is going beyond our control?" Hermione asked. 

"Huh?" asked Harry absently as he gently stroked her exposed stomach. 

"The wedding." 

"Definitely. I think they've forgotten that we're involved." 

"It's like..." Hermione thought for a second, "it's not our day any more - it's Ron and Lavender's day." 

"And Seamus and Ginny's," Harry reminded her. 

"And Seamus and Ginny's," she agreed. She sighed deeply. "I wanted to keep things simple, but this is turning into a bloody circus! You know, I walked into the living room the other day and Lavender and Ginny were discussing how many doves they should release as we leave the church. I don't even want doves!" 

"Well, apparently Ron is going to be my Best Man and all his brothers are Usher's along with Seamus and we shall be leaving the church in a classic Rolls Royce." 

Hermione laughed. "Ha! I think I've got it worse though. The dress Lav and Gin are currently saying I'm wearing looks like a meringue!" 

"Aww, poor baby!" said Harry, kissing her forehead. 

Hermione groaned. "This is too much! I wish there was some way we could stop all the nonsense and just get married!" 

"Well, there is _one_ way," said Harry slowly. Hermione turned slightly so she could look Harry in the face. 

"How?" she asked curiously. 

"Let's elope." 

***

_**A/N:** _

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Two:_   
The sisters - Thanx!   
Karen - You'll see more of the England Squad in future chapters (the World Cup is coming up).   
ms. potter - Draco and Padma will work their way into the story somehow. I'm not quite sure _how_ exactly, but they will!   
weetziefairie - Thanx!   
E. C. R. Potter - Thanx!   
aaliyah-potter - Trust me, I _always_ need good luck! I tend to get writeers block for a couple of days and then my ideas come to me faster than I can write them...   
Satans Little Princess - I'm going to leave what Seamus said under his breath to your imagination!   
hermioneharry4ever - I'll try and keep going with both stories, though I tend to run out of ideas for _Harry Potter & the Age of Apocalypse_!   
Hikari47 - Thanx! About your fics - what you write is up to you! Both of those ideas sound quite interesting.   
Emili Potter - Thanx! I get like that when I have a few days out of school - sometimes I can barely remember what day it is!   
Harry + Hermione 2gether 4ever - As I've said before, this is a PG fic, so I'll leave what Seamus said up to your imagination.   
Gryffindor Quidditch Angel - Thanx! 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	4. Chapter Four

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Happy, happy, happy! Yay! Over fifty reviews for three chapters! Yay! Okay, on with the story..._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Four**

*** 

  
  


"Harry?" Hermione turned to look at her fiancee in amazement. 

Harry gulped. "Well, it's the perfect solution," he said. "You get the simplicity you want and I get what I want - to marry you." 

"But how, Harry?" 

"Well, you remember that Christmas party we went to for Ron's work? Well, the Australian Minister of Magic kind of owes me a favour." Hermione gave him a suspicious look, so Harry elaborated. "A group of us kind of got bored so we started a few games of cards. When the Minister of Magic ran out of money, she said she'd owe me a favour. She has the authority to do this, Hermione," he told her earnestly. "What do you say?" 

Hermione's eyes turned skywards. After a moments thought, she looked directly into Harry's eyes, deep into his emerald pools. "I say... I can be ready in ten minutes. What about you?" 

For a second, harry couldn't comprehend what she was saying, then it was like a switch was flicked. "You mean you will?" he asked weakly. 

"Yes!" Hermione said grinning. She scrambled off the hammock and gave Harry and earnest look. "Let's do this." Smiling, Harry too got off the hammock. Hermione's smile broadened and she kissed him quickly on the cheek before dashing into the house. Harry followed her in a daze, somewhat similar to the first time he had kissed her. 

As Hermione had promised, she was ready in a matter of minutes. Wearing a pale lilac dress, she had curled her hair slightly with a charm and was wearing her usual bare minimum of make-up. She was also wearing her simple diamond necklace which glittered in the light. She waited patiently while Harry fumbled with a plain navy tie. She giggled slightly and kneeled behind him on the bed, reaching round his neck to tie it properly. When she had finished he turned around to face her. He thought she looked breathtaking, and he could hardly believe this was happening. 

He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. "Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded and he said, "Let's go." Then he seemed to realise something. "Ron and the others are going to be here in about an hour. What are we going to do?" 

Hermione considered this for a second. "Leave them a note," she told him. She summoned a piece of parchment and a quill, and quickly scribbled a note for Ron and the others. "'Dear Ron and Lav etc.'," Hermione read. "'Have gone out. Be back soon, love Harry and Hermione.'" 

"You're not going to tell them what we're doing?" Harry asked. 

"Do they really need to know?" she asked. 

Harry smiled. "I suppose not." He kissed her on the forehead and said, "Shall we go, Mrs Potter?" 

"We shall, Mr Potter," Hermione told him grinning. Together they Disapparated with a small 'pop'. 

***

"Oh, hurry up Ron!" Lavender yelled through the bathroom door. "The Portkey leaves in ten minutes and I need the loo!" 

"Too much information there, Lav," Seamus told her, lugging his suitcase out of his bedroom which was a couple of doors down from the bathroom. Lavender scowled at him and tightened the sleek ponytail she had pulled her hair into. 

Ginny emerged from her room, looking rather exhausted, and asked, "Have either of you seen my burgundy dress?" just as Ron came out of the bathroom. "I can't find it anywhere!" she told them. 

"I think it's in my room," Seamus told her and she nodded gratefully before dashing into Seamus's room. 

"Why is my sister's dress in your room?" Ron demanded. He turned to Lavender with a questioning look on his face. 

"Sorry, love, can't help you," Lavender told him, hurrying into the bathroom. 

Ron turned to Seamus. "Why is my sister's dress in your room?" he repeated. 

Seamus sighed. "If you must know, she left it in there." 

"What?" exploded Ron. "She what?!" 

"She left it in there. She was going to lend it to me but we decided that burgundy really wasn't my colour." 

Ron raised an eyebrow at this. "For once I really hope you're joking, Finnigan. And why are you wearing that T-shirt?" He pointed at Seamus's white T-shirt which had a large green shamrock on the front. Underneath the shamrock were the words 'Kiss Me, I'm Irish'. 

"It's a fashion statement," said Seamus defiantly. 

"What's the statement? 'I'm a demented Irishman'?" 

Seamus scowled. "Fine, I won't wear it if you're going to be like that!" He set down his suitcase and pulled his T-shirt off over his head to reveal a well-toned stomach. 

"Grow up, Seamus, you're not going to the Quidditch match like that!" Ron told him. 

"He can go like that if he wants," Ginny said, emerging from Seamus's room, the burgundy dress folded over one of her arms. "I don't mind." Seamus grinned. Ron merely scowled and walked down the stair sulking. 

"I think he got out the wrong side of bed this morning," said Ginny, pulling a hair tie from the pocket of her faded jeans. They were her favourite pair and had been mended and patched several times. She pulled her pair into a loose ponytail at the base of her neck and frowned. "I hate travelling by Portkey - it messes up my hair!" 

"Your hair looks fine," said Seamus and he picked up his suitcase before walking down the staircase, still without a T-shirt on. 

***

They arrived outside the impressive mansion which belonged to the Australian Minister of Magic, Liberty Wallace. The mansion was about twice the size of the one which the England Squad were staying in. Hand in hand, Harry and Hermione walked up the driveway to the large front door. His hand shaking slightly, Harry pulled the chain by the door and a loud clanging could be heard from inside the house. A couple of seconds later the door was opened by a balding man in a crisp black tuxedo. He reminded Hermione somewhat of the waiters at _Le Petit Choux_. 

"How many I be of service?" he asked. His voice was distinctly British, this was the Wallace's Butler. 

"We would like to see Liberty Wallace, please," Harry told him. Hermione held back a giggle: Harry's accent had suddenly gone to an upper class level. 

"Is she expecting you?" 

"No, but please tell her that Harry Potter is here." 

As per usual, the man's eyes flicked up to Harry's hairline. "Certainly, sir." He Disapparated and reappeared a couple of seconds later. "Follow me," he told them. He led them through what seemed to be a maze of corridors. If they hadn't had the Butler with them, they would probably have got lost. 

They eventually stopped in a large Hall. It seemed to be some sort of Ballroom. A woman was busy at the other end. She had a large easel and paints and was staring out of the window. Every so often the would dab some paint onto the canvas. Harry turned to thank the Butler, but he had gone. 

The woman spotted them and smiled. She set down her paintbrush and walked towards them. She was about thirty-five years old and had long auburn hair. She had brown eyes that seemed to be glittering with excitement. "Harry! To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked. 

"It's great to see you again, Liberty," Harry said. He kissed her cheek. "Actually, this is about that favour you owe me." 

"Oh, yes. I remember now. So what would you like me to do for you? As long as it doesn't involve stripping I'm up for it." Hermione seemed a little surprised by this statement, but then again, this was the youngest Australian Minister of Magic for three hundred years. She had a reputation for living on the wild side. 

"I'll pass on the stripping, thanks," Harry told her and she grinned. Harry cast a glance at Hermione and took hold of her hand. Hermione smiled up at him. "We want you to marry us. Today" 

"To each other?" 

"That's kind of the idea," Harry said. Liberty smiled. 

"Of course. That's fine by me. Do you have the rings?" 

Hermione looked worried. "We don't have any rings. We haven't even picked them out yet." 

Harry drew a box out of his pocket. It was very similar to the one he had given to Hermione with her engagement ring in, except it was twice the length. He opened it and showed it to her. "Yes we do. These were my parents. Sirius gave them to me when I told him about our engagement. Apparently they've been in the Potter family for generations." 

"They're perfect," breathed Hermione, staring in wonder at the two rings. They were both plain gold bands with just a slight engraving on each. One was about twice the width of the other, marking it out as the man's ring. "Absolutely perfect." 

"Shall we get this show on the road?" asked Liberty. Harry and Hermione turned towards her. Using magic she had changed her clothes into formal robes with the Australian Ministry's emblem on them - a platypus and a koala encircled by eucalyptus leaves. The couple nodded. "Then follow me," Liberty told them, and she led them down the corridor to her bright and airy office. 

***

_**A/N:** I bet you were all thinking the wedding would be in this chapter! Ha! Dream on..._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Three:_   
Geneathen - Wow. Some interesting predictions. But will they come true...?   
Hermonie - That's kind of what I planned (for them to renew their vows). As for your group using the fic for one of your performances - email me (my address is in my profile) and tell me what you mean.   
E. C. R. Potter - The reactions of the wedding planners are definitley going to be worth reading! I have the scene all planned out in my head...   
ms. potter - I considered having them back out, but I think it plays quite an important part in their lives that they don't.   
Harry + Hermione 2gether 4ever - Thanx!   
aaliyah-potter - Thanx!   
Hikari47 - Well, its been five years since Hermione dated Viktor. They've both kinda moved on.   
Noodlejelly - Don't worry, there will be some elemnt of fairytale in this fic!   
hermioneharry4ever - Thanx. If I ever need help on HP & the AOA, I'll remeber to ask, but I have a basic plot forming in my head.   
RACHEL - Thanx!   
sugar-n-spice - Of course it's a great way to keep people reading - that's why I did it. Hehe. I have an even better cliffhanger planned for the end of chapter six! :D   
Arwen Potter - Why not? Exactly my thoughts!   
Karen - Will the team win... Hmmm.... that is yet to be decided...   
weetziefairie - Laying off the sugar would probably be a good idea... :)   
Satans Little Princess - Thanx!   
bookworm4ever - Thanx!   
ShockoLatt - They probably will get their own house eventually, and I have a good reason planned...   
Emili Potter - It was Snape who said they were going to elope. I kinda had the idea for them eloping when I wrote the chapter in which he said that! :D   
AznGolDragonGod - Thanx!   
Oliverwoodschic - Thanx! Ron and Lavender probably will get married eventually. They're not actually too keen on the whole marriage aspect, though no doubt Molly Weasley is. About Seamus and Ginny - I'm still trying to decide whether they should break up or not. And no, I'm not joking.   
Felis Non Domesticus - Heads on platters? That sounds about right! 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	5. Chapter Five

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Right, here's Chapter Five. Happy Easter to everyone!_

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Five**

*** 

  
  


"Where are they?" asked Ron. He, along with Lavender, Seamus and Ginny had arrived at the England mansion a few minutes before. There was no sign of Harry and Hermione anywhere. 

"I saw them leave about an hour ago," he was told by one of the team's Beaters, Nathan Huxley. Nathan had blonde hair which was so long he actually had to tie it back to stop it from getting in his eyes. His strong muscles were clearly visible beneath his T-shirt and he was sporting a golden suntan. 

"He's right," said Lavender coming into the lounge room which Ron and Nathan were sitting in. She held up the note she had found in Harry and Hermione's room. "It's says they've gone out. It doesn't say where, though." 

Ron frowned. "That doesn't sound like them," he commented. Lavender gave him a look. "On second thoughts, it sounds exactly like them," he said. "Are you sure you don't have any ideas where they've gone?" he asked Nathan. 

"None whatsoever. They tend to keep to themselves." 

Ginny and Seamus walked into the lounge, laughing about something. A couple seconds, the other members of the England Squad entered the room. Oliver Wood looked rather sunburnt, as did the other England Beater, Christopher Hedbury. Christopher was one of the most popular members of the team. Many people believed he'd be the next Captain when Ed decided to retire. He was dating a famous witch who was a member of a very popular music group. He was also world renowned for his rather extreme haircuts. 

Trisha McLean was her usual Bohemian self and was chatting quietly with Padma. She had become quite good friends with Padma's sister, Parvati, and the two were often seen hanging around some of the Wizarding world's hottest night clubs. Her normally light brown hair had been bleached blonde by the sun and hung in ringlets down her back. 

"Are you lot looking forward to the semi-finals?" Ginny asked. Trisha scowled. 

"Yeah, but we're playing the Americans," she replied. There were groans from a couple of the other team members. 

"What's so bad about the Americans?" as Ginny. 

Trisha straightened up. "Awesome! Oh, wow! Like totally freak me out, I mean, right on! USA are number one!" she cried, putting on an American accent. "Their cheerleaders drive you insane!" she moaned. 

"I've watched the Americans play the Swiss. I've never heard the cheerleaders," said Oliver. 

"You've also had ten Bludgers to the head during the past three months," pointed out Ed. 

"Pardon, did you say something?" Oliver asked. "You have to speak in my good ear - I've had ten Bludgers to the head during the last three months!" When everyone burst into laughter, he looked around, confused. "What?" he asked. 

Nothing," said Seamus. "Go back to your little dream world, Oliver." Oliver rolled his eyes. 

The fire in the lounge suddenly lit before Oliver could respond, making the heat in the room almost unbearable. A second later, the flames turned to a light blue colour and a female face appeared in the flames. "How's it going, chaps?" she asked. Trisha coughed. "And ladies," the woman added. "You all ready for the match tomorrow?" 

"We're just about geared up," said Christopher, removing the Muggle baseball cap he was wearing. He fanned himself with it. "What's the weather like back in ol' Blighty, Gwen?" Gwendoline Hardacre was the England Manager. She was responsible for the team and was the first female Manager for the team. She was in her mid-thirties and had short black hair. 

Gwen sighed. "It just started raining. I'm glad I'm coming out there tomorrow. Wait a sec. Where's Harry?" 

"He's gone AWOL," explained Padma. "We have no idea where he is. Or Hermione." 

Gwendoline sighed. "If he's not in by curfew I'll... well, it won't be nice. Tell him that, will you?" Gwen had imposed a strict curfew for the nights before matches. All the players had to be inside the mansion before ten o'clock. 

"No prob," said Padma. Gwendoline sighed again then disappeared. The fire extinguished itself, returning the room to its normal temperature. 

***

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry whispered to Hermione as Liberty unlocked her office. "We can always turn back." 

"No," insisted Hermione. "I want to do this." She kissed him softly to show him that she meant it. He gave her a lopsided grin. 

"Glad to hear it," Harry said, holding onto her hand tightly. 

It took a couple of minutes for Liberty to arrange the various paper work, and Harry and Hermione stood in relative silence, still hold hands. "Harry, Hermione, this is my husband, Nicholas and my sister Rebecca. I've asked them to be witnesses here," explained Liberty. Hermione nodded and Harry shook Nicholas's hand. Nicholas was about six foot tall and had sandy blonde hair. He reminded Harry somewhat of Seamus Finnigan. 

The rest of the short ceremony passed in a blur. Harry felt like he was floating, and could barely remember repeating his vows. He was sure he messed up at some point, but he wasn't really paying much attention. He was too busy staring into Hermione's eyes. Only when he heard Liberty say, "You may now kiss the bride," did he break out of his trance and bent his head so he could kiss Hermione sweetly on the lips. "I present Mr and Mrs Potter," Liberty said as they broke apart. 

Harry grinned. He was sure he looked like an idiot with the goofy smile on his face, but he didn't care - he was married to Hermione, and that was all he cared about. "I love you," he whispered to Hermione, before kissing Hermione again. When they broke from their kiss, the newlyweds found they were the only ones in the room. 

"Are you sure she won't say anything to the press?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded and told her he was positive. He picked up a quill from Liberty's desk and wrote a thank you note on a piece of parchment. 

"Come with me," he said. "I want to show you something." He took hold of her hand and they Disapparated. 

"Where are we?" Hermione asked in amazement. The scenery around them was breathtaking. The sun was beginning to set and it cast an orange light across the Australian outback. There wasn't another human being, Wizard or Muggle, in sight. Not a sound could be heard coming from anywhere. 

"Well, Ayres Rock is about fifty miles in that direction," said Harry pointing over his shoulder, "and the mansion is about a hundred in that direction," he told her, pointing straight ahead. 

"It's amazing," whispered Hermione, awestruck. 

"So are you," Harry told her. Hermione rested her head on Harry's shoulder. 

"I could say the same about you," she told him. She turned to face him. "We should be getting back to the mansion, Harry. You've got curfew." 

Harry scowled. "Dammit. I'd forgotten. Are you going to tell anyone?" 

Hermione studied the ring on her finger. "If you want to." 

He considered this for a moment. "No. We'll tell them when the time is right." Hermione nodded and kissed him. "This can be our little secret." 

"Exactly," agreed Hermione. "Anyway, I want you all to myself!" she said with a wicked grin. Harry narrowed his eyes. 

"Are you planning something, Mrs Potter?" he asked mischievously. 

"I might just be," Hermione told him. He kissed her and together, they Apparated back to the mansion, their secret in tact. 

***

The secret that Harry was keeping gave him a new lease of life for the semi-final match against the USA the next day. There had only been a few questions as to their disappearance, but once Harry had told them that they had been just spending time together away from everyone else, they all seemed to back down. 

The crowd at the match was wild. This was the first time that the US has got this far in the World Cup, and so the Americans were showing their support in full force. The Star Spangled Banner could be heard coming for several different places and the entire stadium was decked out in red, white and blue, but this was because England also wore these colour. God Save the Queen and Rule Britannia could be heard from one end of the pitch. Banners with the three lions and St. George's cross were being waved by the England supporters and many had painted their faces in the team colours to show their loyalty. 

Hermione felt rather nervous up in the press box, not only because of her and Harry's wedding but also because she had developed a liking for Quidditch (especially when Harry played) and England losing would mean that they lost all hope for winning the World Cup. Sure, they'd go through to play for third place against the loser of the other semi-final match, but it wasn't the same. 

The commentator for the match was a loudmouthed Australian who was extremely opinionated. He had something to say about each of the players, but Hermione wasn't really listening. She was sure that she was mentioned somewhere when he spoke about Harry, but she was too busy rechecking her cameras to notice. 

She held one of her cameras up to her face. Looking through it, everything was magnified. It was made by the manufacturers of Omnioculars, and had many of the same functions, which made it perfect for sports photography. She spotted Ron, Lavender, Seamus and Ginny sitting up in the top box with Draco Malfoy. Draco was chatting casually with Parvati Patil. Obviously both were there to cheer on Padma. 

The match started before Hermione even had time to comprehend what was happening. She trained the camera on Christopher Hedbury. She managed to get a few good shots of him before he got hit by a Bludger. Judging by the trail of blood, his nose had been broken by the impact. She took several shots to the rest of the players then focused on Harry. Something about watching him play gave her butterflies in her stomach. 

She watched as Harry dived. At first she was sure he was attempting the Wronski Feint as the American Seeker, Rudolph Atkins, followed him. They plummeted towards the ground at breakneck speed, and it was only when she heard the Australian commentator, Jack Adams, yell, "Potter has the Snitch! It's all over! England win 270 to 50! Repeat, England win!" Hermione wasn't sure what she was more surprised at, the fact that harry had caught the elusive Golden Snitch in such a short space of time, or the fact that Padma, Trisha and Ed had already managed to score 12 goals between them. 

Shoving her camera's roughly into their cases, Hermione hurried from the press box up to the top box. She practically threw her ticket for the top box to the usher who collected tickets and slid into her seat beside Ron. Harry had given her the ticket to the top box, but Hermione had decided to go in the press box as there was often a better view there. 

A minute or so later the England team arrived, looking thoroughly delighted. They were going through to the final. They all had their hands shaken by Liberty Wallace, who gave Harry a cheeky wink. The team then lined up so the crowd could get a good look at them. The top box was almost blinded by the number of camera's going off. 

After a minute or so, they all broke rank and Harry headed straight to Hermione who enveloped him in a hug. "You were great," she told him. "Well done!" 

They kissed (causing another eruption of camera flash bulbs) and Harry grinned at her; this was turning out to be the best week of his life. 

***

_**A/N:** Chapter Six will probably be completed by Wednesday (if you're lucky). Over the next few chapters, there's probably going to be some dark stuff going on. Some of it will probably be totally out of my normal writing style and quite angsty. There will be some interesting twists, I promise you._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Four:_   
Sucker For Romance - Thanx!   
Kaitzee - I have most of their reactions planned. Sirius's (I haven't forgotten about him, he _will_ make an appearance) will probably be quite interesting.   
hermioneharry4ever - Aww, I'd hate to tell you what their reactions will be like (they've kind of a big part of the plot). Never fear, the reactions will appear. Probably in Chapter Seven.   
Shits and Giggles - Thanx, though I'm not quite sure what you mean by my font! :)   
draco's princess - Thanx!   
Noodlejelly - Thanx, I like to hear when people love my fics.   
Hikari47 - I can't wait either! :) I haven't written those scenes yet, but suffice to say they'll be good. I hope.   
sugar-n-spice - One word: Thanx.   
E. C. R. Potter - Nope, the reactions will be Chapter Seven.   
ms. potter - There will probably be some sort of formal ceremony (probably in the Hogsmeade Chapel or somewhere like that).   
weetziefairie - Be the Queen of Chocolate then. :) Just don't scare anyone!   
jos8 - The others? Hmm... soon.   
redlion - Thanx! I _can_ post fast, but sometimes I choose not to. I have two more weeks off school for Easter, so that means lots of time for writing, yay! I haven't read Ryoko Blue's fic. I've been meaning to, but I never get round to it.   
ShockoLatt - I like to be different. I get bored of fics all being the same, and characters all having the same careers, etc, so I try to be different.   
aaliyah-potter - Thanx!   
Emili Potter - Thanx!   
Satans Little Princess - I've written more! Chapter Six will probably be completely ready by Wednesday.   
duckies - Thanx!   
Kori Bischoff - Thank you, I try to be as evil as I possibly can - it makes people read my fics.   
Harry + Hermione 2gether 4ever - Thanx! Blimey, your reviews are always so... energetic. 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	6. Chapter Six

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Yes, yes, I_ do_ realise that I posted Chapter Five twice. Well, here it is, the real Chapter Six. I hope you enjoy it (plus, there's some D/P interaction for virtually the first time in the story!)._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Six**

*** 

  
  


Ron, Ginny, Seamus and Lavender had booked a suite at a top Wizarding hotel in Melbourne for their stay in Australia. Actually, it had been Seamus who had book the hotel, due to some of his connections at work. Strangely, a lot of the people at the hotel seemed to know Seamus, even though he claimed he had never stayed there before. 

The evening that they arrived in Australia, Ron and Lavender decided to do some sight-seeing, leaving Seamus and Ginny alone in the hotel suite. Seamus lay on the suite's couch, reading a magazine when Ginny emerged from her room. She sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"It's so quiet without Ron and Lav," she commented. 

"Yeah," agreed Seamus, putting an arm around her shoulders. Ginny winced. "What is it?" 

"Nothing," Ginny said quickly, but Seamus wasn't convinced. He pushed up the sleeve of her purple Muggle T-shirt to reveal several large bruises on her upper arm. 

"Ginny where did you get those bruises?" he demanded. 

"I fell over at work," she said shortly, pushing her sleeve back down. "It's nothing." 

"I didn't think falling over could do that to you?" 

"Well, obviously it can," Ginny retorted. She moved away from Seamus, a worried look in her eyes, somewhat like a small animal that's being pursued. 

Seamus looked at her, and shook his head. "Fine, Ginny, be like that. If you don't want to tell me you don't have to." 

Ginny pursed her lips. She brushed a stand of red hair from her eyes and opened her mouth as if about to speak, but closed it again, obviously deciding not to. She rose from the coach and with one last look at Seamus, she walked briskly into the bathroom. A couple of seconds later, the hiss of water from the shower could be heard. Seamus stared at the door for a few minutes, as if the wood could give him the answers. Finally he could take it no longer and he stood and strode purposefully to the bathroom door. 

He was about to knock on it what he heard a strange noise from inside. Pressing his ear to the door, he listened carefully. The strange noise from inside was the sound of Ginny's sobs, muffled by the continual hiss of the water. The sound of her crying was almost painful, and Seamus turned away from the door, not wishing to hear any more. He collapsed back onto the couch, trying to think how on earth Ginny had got those bruises and why she was currently crying her eyes out. 

***

"Draco, what is the meaning of this?" demanded Padma, as Draco removed the blindfold charm he had place on her. She gasped in amazement. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around at the urban scenery in utter delight. 

"On top of the Sydney Opera House. Don't worry, no-one can see us - there are countless charms up around the place to stop Muggles," he told her. He held her arm and turned her round to reveal a red and white chequered blanket laying on the 'floor' with what looked to be a gourmet picnic set out on top of it. 

"What's the special occasion?" she asked as her boyfriend led her over to the blanket. They sat down, and Draco poured out two flutes of champagne in silence. 

"You are," he replied, handing her one of the glasses. He held her hand across the food and smiled almost shyly. 

"Would you be offended if I told you that you were scaring me?" Padma asked, giggling nervously. 

"No, because I'm scaring myself," Draco admitted. "Strawberry?" he asked holding up a golden plate of the aforementioned fruit. Padma took one, but didn't eat it. Instead, she stared at it, rolling it between her fingers. 

"Draco, what's going on?" she asked earnestly. "Don't lie to me, please. Just tell me the truth." 

Draco said nothing, instead he put down his champagne flute and rose to his feet. He dusted down his navy robes and held out his hand. "Stand up," he instructed. "I have something to show you." 

Confused, Padma accepted his hand and got to her feet. "What is it? And I've just realised almost everything I've said to you tonight is a question, so I'm going to be quiet now." 

"Do you remember how we met?" Draco asked quietly, as they looked out at the breathtaking night time view of Sydney. Padma took his hand and stood next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"I'm assuming the first time we spoke properly." Draco nodded. "It was at the end of a Prefect's meeting. You were pining over Hermione and I told you to get a life, though I was probably a bit more eloquent." 

"You were," agreed Draco. 

Padma looked at him suspiciously, her dark eyes burning with an intense curiosity. "This is leading to something, isn't it?" she whispered. "I can't think what, but it is... oh, Draco!" 

As she had spoken, Draco had dropped to one knee, still clutching her left hand. "Oh. My. God," she whispered. 

"I spent ages trying to think of a way to ask you to marry me, Padma. But I couldn't quite find the words. It's like... you defy words. You... defy everything. You could probably do a hundred times better than me, but for some strange reason, you're with me. I feel I know you so well. you don't judge people, and I know money and things like that don't impress you, so all I can give you is me." 

"You got it wrong," whispered Padma slowly. "You could do a hundred times better than _me_. Of course I'll marry you." 

"You will?" asked Draco weakly. 

"Do I have to repeat myself?" asked Padma, tears starting to fall down her face. 

"No!" said Draco quickly. He got to his feet and wrapped his arms around Padma, his face flushed with pride and immense shock, Padma's tears of happiness falling onto his shoulder. 

***

The final of the Quidditch World Cup was held just three days later. During the three days between the semi-final and the final, both Harry and Hermione had become increasingly agitated. It was an unspoken agreement between the two that they would tell the others about their marriage after the match, no matter what the outcome. 

The day of the match dawned bright and sunny, and there was a feeling of immense tension in the England mansion. Oliver, who was the unofficial house chef, even burned a pot of tea. How exactly he managed this feat was beyond even Hermione. Until then none of them had actually known you _could_ burn tea. 

The stadium was buzzing with excitement and the atmosphere was almost electric. England had reached the World Cup finals for the first time in thirty years. They were to play Germany, who were also ranked as one of the best teams in the world. England hadn't beaten them for ten years. There were a lot of hopes (and money) resting on the result of this Quidditch match. 

Hermione had chosen to sit in the top box for this match, if only because she was feeling ill. It was probably nerves, she reckoned. Plus all those male journalists in the press box with the intense Australian heat? Not something she wanted to experience. Again. 

The match itself was incredibly fierce. It was a strange spectacle to behold, especially from the top box, where Hermione had a view of the entire pitch. Half the spectators were decked out in red, gold and black and the other half in red, white and blue. The players themselves all had looks of extreme concentration on their faces. The German Beaters were terribly aggressive, and Hermione was sure that Padma had at least three broken ribs. 

Up in the air, Harry was circling the pitch. He was gripping his broom so hard his knuckles were white. Out of the corner of his eye, he could she the German Seeker, Jana Schwartz, following, albeit discreetly. She was a wiry your woman who had magicked her hair so that it was the same colours as the German flag. 

About ten metres or so below him, the game was in full swing. Ed, England's Captain was almost knocked off his broom twice. Nathan seemed to be enjoying himself, though, hitting the Bludgers towards the Germans with almost his full strength. Harry knew that Nathan never used his full strength when hitting the Bludgers as he tired easily doing this. Getting tired during the World Cup final was not something that anyone, least of all Harry, wanted to do. 

His eyes scanned the pitch for the Golden Snitch. Harry could hear the commentator say something about the current score, and although Harry didn't absorb this information completely, he knew the two teams were too close for comfort. 

He could see the German Seeker more clearly now, and she was definitely following him. She wasn't even bothering to hide it any more. There was only one thing to do that Harry could think of... 

About an hour into the game, Hermione saw Harry go into the Wronski feint. She knew for a fact it was the feint because of the look on his face. There was only a subtle difference between his 'feint face' and his 'I've-seen-the-Snitch face', but Hermione could distinguish between them. 

To her dismay, the German Seeker pulled out of the dive just metres from the ground. Harry didn't. 

***

_**A/N:** Ooh... a cliffhanger! Hehe. I've been planning that for a while! (P.S. Chapter Seven will be posted on Friday)._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Five:_   
Satans Little Princess- Thanx!   
AznGolDragonGod - No problem. I kinda realised that I posted Chapter Five twice - I'd lose my head if it wasn't screwed on!   
weetziefairie - You're scaring _me_!   
Geneathen - It wasn't your bruised ego - Chapter Five wasn't my best work, I'll admmit. As for your predictions... a lot of them were actually quite true! :)   
Kaitzee - Thanx! I'm still trying to work out where Sirius is/has been to be honest!   
Lydia-Silver-Maiden - The plots holes you talked about - well, after I read your review I went out (not literally) and fixed them, look out for them in future chapters!   
Emili Potter - Thanx!   
aaliyah-potter - Thanx, I need all the luck I can get!   
Andros - Yup, I did post the same chapter twice!   
Shits and Giggles - Thanx!   
Kori Bischoff - I would have written more for their wedding, but I actually had a bit of writers block when it came o write that scene!   
hermioneharry4ever - Dark stuff... hmmm.... wait and see :) As for going into details, this is a PG fic and I don't like to write that sort of stuff. I'll leave it up to your imagination.   
sugar-n-spice - Thanx!   
Karen - The group find out in Chapter Seven!   
ShockoLatt - Thanx! What's your new story called?   
E. C. R. Potter - Thanx!   
Arwen Potter - Thanx!   
Oliverwoodschic - Thanx!   
ms. potter - I wanted to keep the readers hanging on! :) 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	7. Chapter Seven

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** This is my longest chapter yet. I'm very proud of myself! :) I'm sure you've all been looking forward to this chapter, if only for the reactions of everyone when they find out that Harry and Hermione are married. Some of the later parts of this chapter were difficult to write, because angst doesn't exactly come naturally to me._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Seven**

*** 

  
  


Hermione almost lost her breakfast right there and then, but she didn't. She turned pale and raced to the edge of the box for a better view as mediwizards rushed towards Harry. She felt Ron's hand on her shoulder and her eyes begin to fill with tears. 

Harry suddenly moved on the ground. An unearthly hush fell over the stadium. Harry sat up, then rose to his feet. Hermione raised her camera to her eye - it was easier than using Omnioculars - and she could see Harry looking rather sick. She herself was hit with a sudden wave of nausea,, but also a strange feeling of de ja vu: she was sure this had happened before. 

Harry bent over, as though he was going to be sick. The game carried on above his head, and Harry coughed. Into his hand fell the Golden Snitch. 

Hermione broke into a fit of hysterical laughter. She felt weak at the knees. She heard cheering break out across the Stadium as the commentator announced that Harry had caught the Snitch. Now Hermione knew why that scene had looked familiar - that was the way Harry had caught the Snitch during his first ever Quidditch match at Hogwarts when he was just eleven years old. 

She could hear Ron laughing behind her, obviously recalling the same memories. "Only Harry could pull of a move like that!" she heard him cry. 

Then the realisation hit her. England had won the Quidditch World Cup. 

At the England mansion, a huge party was held that evening. All the close friends and relatives of the players who had come to Australia to watch the match were there, and there were probably over a hundred people there. 

When Hermione wasn't glued to Harry's side, she was sat in one of the quieter areas of the mansion. She hadn't been feeling well pretty much since their arrival in Australia, and the loud music which was being played was giving her a headache. 

She was joined by Parvati Patil who flopped into a chair beside her. "Are you okay, Parvati?" she asked. "You look annoyed." 

"I've been talking to Padma," she explained. 

"Why has that annoyed you." 

"Urgh! It's all 'Draco this' and 'Draco that'. If I have to listen to another thing about him, I'm going to start believing that the Sun shines out of his ar... there you are Draco!" Parvati, blushed realising that Draco had come over to their corner. "I was just leaving." She quickly slipped out of her chair and departed, post haste. 

Draco grinned and asked, "Are you okay, Hermione?" 

"To be honest, no, but to tell a lie, I feel perfectly fine." 

"You wanna go for a walk?" 

Hermione shrugged. "Sure, why not?" 

Without anyone noticing, they managed to slip out of the mansion after Hermione left a note for Harry. The Sun was beginning to set, and they strolled along, talking quietly. 

"Congratulations, Draco. I was wondering when you were going to propose to Padma." A crimson blush spread across Draco's cheeks when Hermione said this. 

"Congratulations to you to," he said. 

"For what?" asked Hermione, confused. 

"Getting married," he replied casually, as though she got married every day. 

Hermione turned pale. "How, how did you know?" she stuttered. 

"I'm not blind," said Draco, pointing at her left hand where her wedding ring glinted in the fading sunlight. Hermione blushed, and lifted her hand so she could see it more clearly. 

"We got so annoyed with everyone running our wedding for us that we just went ahead and got married. The Australian Minister of Magic performed the ceremony. It was just us, her and a couple of her relatives as witnesses," explained Hermione. She dropped her hand back to her side and asked, "So where are we walking to?" She tucked a strand of flyaway hair behind her ear and looked at him quizzically. 

He shrugged and lowered his sunglasses. They had previously been resting on the top of his head. Hermione couldn't help but notice that they were a very expensive Muggle brand. No doubt they were Padma's influence. "Wherever we want." He grinned at her. "That's the great thing about having magic - we can walk as far as we want for as long as we want, then just Apparate home when we want to." Hermione smiled. 

"That's certainly an interesting..." she winced, "outlook on things." 

"Are you all right?" 

"I'm fine..." she said, before another wave of pain spread across her lower abdomen. "On second thought's maybe I'm not." Shocked, Draco helped support her and they managed to get to a nearby tree where Hermione sat down in the shade. She was pale and shaking. "I really don't feel too good," she muttered. 

"You don't look too good, either," Draco told her. "I'm getting you to a hospital." 

"No! I don't like hospitals." 

"You're in pain!" 

"No. This isn't pain. The Cruciatius Curse - now, that's pain! Trust me, I know from personal experience. This is a walk in the park." She smiled weakly. "Or maybe a walk in the outback." 

"That's it - I'm taking you to the nearest hospital." Dracxo knew for a fact that Hermione never talked about what had happened during their sixth year at Hogwarts, so something was desperately wrong. He reached out and grabbed her hand before Apparating to the nearest Wizarding hospital which was about ten miles away. It was actually quite near the Quidditch World Cup Stadium where they had been just hours before. 

Almost the moment they arrived, Hermione fainted. They were almost instantly surrounded by mediwizards who carted Hermione off into a room out of sight. A nervous looking young witch, who was probably only a year or so older than Draco and Hermione, approached him. Draco realised she was some sort of receptionist by the way she dressed. 

"Excuse me, sir, I need you to fill in some forms." She passed him a clipboard and a ready-inked quill. Draco looked blankly at the form and began to fill it in - _Name: Hermione Potter..._

***

Back at the mansion, the party was well under way. In one of the rooms someone, Harry wasn't quite sure who, though he suspected that it was Lavender, had set up a kareoke session. Harry was quite tempted to join in, but first he wanted to find Hermione. 

There were too many people there for Harry to see her - she had this annoying ability to bland into the crowd without anyone noticing her. Harry tried a tracking spell, laying his wand flat on the palm of his hand. The wand just spun around in circles - it couldn't find her anywhere in the house. Worried, Harry began to look through the crowd, questioning people. He managed to work his way to the kitchen, where he found a note on the table with his name printed clearly in Hermione's neat handwriting. 

The kitchen was the only room in the house which wasn't swarming with people. In fact, there was no-one else there. 

Harry read the note and smiled. He wasn't at all surprised that Hermione had gone out for a walk. She'd do anything to stay away from large amounts of noise and/or people. In fact, he was kind of jealous. 

He almost dropped the note when the fireplace suddenly whirled into action. Draco's blonde head appeared. "What are you doing, Draco? I thought you were here at the party?" 

"I went for a walk with Hermione," Draco told him, looking stricken. "You have to come quickly." 

"Come where? And where's Hermione?" 

"We're at St. Hedwig's Hospital. There's something wrong with Hermione." 

Harry paled. "I'll be there as soon as I can. I have to find someone." Draco nodded his understanding, and the fire suddenly extinguished itself. Feeling rather faint himself, Harry pushed his way through the partygoers trying to find Ron. He found him talking to Lavender, Ginny, Padma and Seamus. They were laughing at something and Seamus looked rather disgruntled. 

"What's the matter, Harry? Something wrong?" asked Lavender. 

"Hermione's in St. Hedwig's," he explained. 

"The hospital?" asked Padma. She had visited it a few times during the World Cup due to broken bones and the like. 

Harry nodded mutely. "I have to go now," he said. 

"We're coming with you," said Ron, and the others nodded in agreement. 

"Thanks," said Harry gratefully, and the six of them Disapparated. 

At St. Hedwig's they were greeted by a distraught looking Draco. "They won't tell me anything," he said. The nervous-looking receptionist approached them, still carrying a clipboard, though this time it was a different colour. 

"Excuse me, Mr Potter?" she asked quietly. 

"That's me," said Harry stepping forward. "Where's Hermione." 

"Room Two Eleven. She's expecting you. She won't let anyone else into until you come." 

Harry bit his lip. "What's wrong with her?" he asked. 

The receptionist sighed. "I'm afraid Mrs Potter has suffered a miscarriage," she told him. 

Harry paled even further. "Oh, God... Hermione..." He raced off down the corridor, presumably to Hermione's room. The reactions from the others were somewhat varied. 

Draco's face became almost translucent. Padma clutched his hand, looking on the verge of tears. Ginny did start to cry, and was comforted by an amazed Seamus, who kept smoothing her red hair. Lavender sat down suddenly on one of the hard chairs in the waiting room in which they were stood. She said nothing and her face was emotionless. Ron however was a different story. 

"Mrs Potter?" he demanded of the receptionist. "Are you sure you got that right?" 

The receptionist looked down at her clipboard and nodded. "Mrs Hermione Potter. That's what your friend put down," she nodded at Draco and then scurried off to see some other patients who had just arrived. 

Ron turned to Draco. Ginny had stopped sobbing, but a solidary tear ran down her freckled cheek. Even Lavender looked up. "Ah, yes. That." He bit his lip. "I'd forgotten they hadn't told you that yet." 

"Told us what?" asked Ron suspiciously, his voice surprisingly calm. 

Draco blushed slightly. "Theygotmarried," he said hurriedly. 

"Excuse me?" asked Ron, the tips of his ears turning red. 

"They kind of... got married," said Draco, avoiding everyone's eye contact. 

"They what?!" exploded Ron, his entire face becoming red now. 

"I'm not repeating myself," Draco told him, still looking at the floor. 

"When?" asked Lavender, standing up. "How long?" 

Draco shrugged. "A couple of days ago, I guess," he said. "Hermione told me something about everyone taking over the wedding, which, by the way, they didn't like, so they just kinda went ahead and got married." 

Ron 's face turned pale rather quickly, and the others looked slightly distressed at this as well. "We are such prats," he said, sinking onto one of the chairs. 

"_I_ could have told you that," muttered Draco. Even though Ron quite obviously heard him, he chose to ignore this comment. 

***

Harry pushed open the door to room Two Eleven, not quite knowing what to expect. "Hermione?" he asked softly. 

Hermione looked up at him. She was lying on a bed which looked as though it had been taken straight out of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. Hermione herself was pale and dishevelled. Her eyes were red and she looked as though she could fall asleep at any moment. She gave him a small smile. "Hello, Harry." 

"Oh, God," Harry muttered. He sat on the bed next to Hermione and after a second of uneasy silence between the two, Harry enveloped his wife into a hug, holding her in his arms. 

"Harry, I'm okay," she told him as they pulled away from each other. "They're letting me leave in a couple of hours. They gave me enough potions and stuff to make me never want to come to a hospital again!" She sniffed and lay back against the soft pillows. Harry felt a tear slide down his cheek. Hermione noticed and leant forward to brush it away. "It's okay to cry," she whispered. Harry nodded mutely. 

"This is all just too surreal," he whispered. Hermione nodded. 

"A few hours ago I was watching you play Quidditch," she said. "Now look at me." 

Harry looked stricken. "What if this is my fault?" he asked. "What if this is all because I swallowed the stupid Snitch and frightened you?" 

Hermione shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. This is no-one's fault." 

Later that night, when they had returned home, no-one speaking much to Hermione, afraid that they would say something stupid or sound uncaring and when the party was over, Harry and Hermione were alone in their bedroom. Harry watched as Hermione climbed into the four poster bed beside him. "Harry, stop blaming yourself," Hermione told him, not looking at him. 

Harry sighed. "I can't help it," he told her. 

"Get some sleep, Harry. There's nothing either of us can do." Hermione extinguished the candles that lit the room, plunging the chamber into darkness. Within minutes Harry could hear her gentle, rhythmic breathing: she was asleep. Gradually, Harry too was consumed by slumber, though his was much more fitful... 

_A pain-filled, terrified scream rang through the clearing in the Forbidden Forest. This scream made Harry's blood run cold - Hermione. He and Ron sped up their pace to a run. They arrived at the edge of the clearing, keeping to the shadows as not to be seen by the many Death Eaters which were swarming round. Voldemort himself was there also, his wand pointed threateningly at Hermione who had been tied to a tree. She was in obvious pain, but was still trying to look dignified. _

"Where is Harry Potter?" Voldemort demanded. 

"Even if I knew I would tell you!" Hermione spat. 

"Very well. Crucio_." _

Once again Hermione's screams filled the clearing. "Go to Hell!" she yelled at him when the curse was removed. She glared at him, as if challenging him to use the curse again. 

"My sentiments exactly," agreed Harry, stepping out of the shadows and into the light. 

"I see you decided to join us, Mr Potter," commented Voldemort. Ron stepped out behind Harry. "Oh, and you brought a friend. How nice." 

Harry cast a quick glance at Ron, and Ron nodded very slightly to show he understood Harry's plan. Ron was to get Hermione out of her bindings while Harry distracted Voldemort. "Yes, I thought he'd like to join the party." 

"Oh, really? The party has only just begun, Potter." 

"I couldn't help but agree," said Harry. "Expelliarmus_!" he cried, a split second before Voldemort could cast the fatal_ Avada Kedavra_ curse. Ron made a run for it, heading straight over to Hermione. He narrowly missed several curses that were sent at Harry by the Death Eaters, but managed to remain unharmed. His fingers were trembling as he tried to quickly untie the ropes which held Hermione in place. To his surprise they were Muggle ropes rather than magic ones. _

Shaking, Hermione managed to get to her feet. "I'll be okay," she told Ron. "Worry about me later - we have to help Harry." Ron nodded and handed Hermione her wand which he had been carrying around since she had been taken. Hermione gave him a weak smile, and the two sixteen year olds ran full pelt over to their friend, dodging curses and hexes as they went. 

"Stop!" The command from Voldemort sent the clearing into a deadly silence. Not a sound could be heard from anywhere. "This is most un-orderly. Stand down," he instructed. He turned to Harry, his red eyes almost glowing in the darkness that surrounded them. "We duel. One on one." 

"Three on one," Harry corrected. "Or is big bad Voldemort afraid of three teenagers?" 

Voldemort flinched slightly. Harry knew he had hit a nerve. "Very well," he said. "Three on one. First we bow." Voldemort bowed, and Hermione and Ron looked at Harry who had a frighteningly determined look on his white face. 

"We can do this, Harry," Hermione whispered. She was stood next to him and she reached out and took his hand. Harry looked at her. There was something in her brown eyes that told him she was right. Ron gave him a reassuring smile. Harry nodded and dropped Hermione's hand. They turned to face Voldemort, the so-called Dark Lord, and bowed. 

Harry looked Voldemort in his cold eyes before the three of them shouted the killing curse in unison; "Avada Kedavra_." _

Before they blacked out, the three of them had enough time to see Voldemort crumble into a pile of ashes. 

Harry woke up in a cold sweat and panting. He looked up to see Hermione watching him in the candlelight, concern written across her face. "It's okay, Harry," she told him, taking him into her arms. "They can't hurt you any more." If Harry hadn't been crying, he would have noticed the same look in her eyes that she had three or so years before. 

***

_**A/N:** I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. This was definitley some of the darker stuff, both the miscarriage and the flashback/dream. I was never planning on writing about the defeat of Voldemort as it happened before_ The Matchmakers _even began. I get the feeling that Voldemort is a bit out of character, but this is my story, so I don't care! :P I believe I had a total of ONE review for the last chapter - surely you can do better than that! Go on, I dare you... review._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Six:_   
ms. potter - Ginny's thing will become apparent in the next chapter. I wonder how close to your theory it will be... 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	8. Chapter Eight

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** The rating for this chapter is probably PG-13, so you have been warned. The scene which earns this rating isn't really too graphic, though something is implied. On with the story..._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Eight**

*** 

  
  


When everyone returned to the Cottage, a few days later, tensions were running high and people weren't sure what they should say and what they shouldn't say. Hermione, especially, felt like people were avoiding her. 

A few days after their return, she finally emerged from her room (not her bedroom, but one of the spare bedrooms which she used as a sort of hideaway), the house was practically empty. 'They must be at work,' she realised. She slowly walked down to the kitchen. The doctors at St. Hedwig's had advised her to take things easy for the next couple of days, but Hermione was starting to feel restless. She was also extremely hungry. 

She walked into the kitchen, feeling that the only thing she wanted was a strong, sweet cup of tea and a toasted tea cake. To her surprise, the house wasn't empty. Harry was sat at the breakfast bar sipping a glass of water and reading the Daily Prophet. To both their relief, the press had not yet got wind of either the marriage or miscarriage. 

"Oh, Hermione," he said standing up. "You're here. I was... just leaving." Harry folded up the paper and started to walk towards the door. 

"Are you avoiding me?" she asked quietly. 

Harry spun round, a strange look on his face. "Of course not!" 

"Then why won't you talk to me?" Hermione asked, checking that the kettle contained water. It did, and she flipped the switch. It was actually a Muggle kettle, but she had adapted it to run on magic, rather than electricity, after checking that it wasn't against the law (the great advantages of having Ron's father work for the Ministry). 

"I was just on my way out!" protested Harry. 

"It's Thursday." 

"So?" he asked. 

"You don't work on Thursday." Hermione sighed. "This is ridiculous, Harry. We're acting like strangers rather than a married couple. We've barely spoken in the last few days." 

"That's because I don't know what to say," Harry said suddenly. "What do you say in this sort of situation? We've just lost our child, Hermione!" he yelled. 

"You think I don't know that? The last few days I've had people telling me they're sorry. Why? Because they don't know what to say to me. People tell me how 'brave' I am for not crying. The only reason I don't cry is because I don't have any tears left _to_ cry!" 

Harry walked towards her, and wrapped his arms around her. She welcomed his embrace, burying her face in his shoulder. "Oh, Hermione," he muttered. "You don't have to be brave. Not for me." 

"Yes, I do," Hermione whispered. "Because that's who I am." 

"Look at me, Hermione," Harry instructed. Reluctantly Hermione lifted her head and looked up at Harry. He cupped her chin in his hand forcing her to look into his eyes. "I love you, and nothing, _nothing_, is going to change that." 

Hermione licked her parched lips. "I know," she said quietly before Harry kissed her. 

***

Ginny looked up as a stack of parchment was dumped on her desk. She sighed removing her small pair of reading spectacles she wore whilst at work. "Another manuscript, Eva?" 

The blonde grinned. "You bet. I've been working on this one for months. When my agent said take it to an editor, I thought of you." Eva Greenaway was one of the best-selling romance authors in the Wizarding world, though her work was published under psuedonym 'Calista Lovejoy'. 

"How thoughtful," said Ginny with a wry smile. She picked up the first piece of parchment and scanned it quickly. "Looks good. Has it got a name?" 

Eva frowned. "Not yet. If you can think of anything, please suggest it. I've written seventy-six books - it's getting really hard to think of titles." 

"Are you going out somewhere?" Ginny asked, noticing Eva's rather expensive-looking robes. By the look of them, they were from one of the more expensive boutiques in Diagon Alley. Normally, Eva wore faded jeans and trainers with a (usually glittery) T-shirt. 

"I have a date," said Eva smiling happily. 

"Who's the lucky guy?" asked Ginny inquisitivley. 

Eva seemed to pause before saying, "It's not a guy, if you catch my drift." 

"Oh. _Oh_." Ginny was slightly shocked by this revelation. "I never knew you were..." 

"It's 'cause I don't go around with a huge neon flashing sign proclaiming it," explained Eva. She frowned. "Would you mind not teliing anyone, see, it would probably kill my career." 

Ginny nodded. "Of course I won't. You'd better get going - don't want to keep her waiting, do you?" Eva grinned and bade her farewell. 

With a sigh Ginny straightened out her desk. She glanced up at the clock and bit her lip. It was almost seven - almost two hours after she was supposed to finish work. She put Eva's latest manuscript into a folder and opened up a filing cabinet to store it safely. 

Just as she was locking the filing cabinet, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Hello, Virginia," a male voice whispered in her ear. Ginny froze. 

'Not again,' she thought worriedly. The hand brushed her flaming red hair away from her neck and felt the man's lips begin to kiss her neck. Ginny closed her eyes. 'This isn't happening, this isn't happening,' she kept repeating to herself. 

"You should have gone home hours ago," the voice told her. "You're a bad girl, Virginia. I'm going to have to punish you." A rough hand grabbed her arm and spun her round before forcing her up against the filing cabinet. Even with her eyes closed, Ginny could feel the man begin to unbutton her blouse. 

'This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening!' she kept repeating. But, of course, it was. 

***

_**A/N:** I'm really sorry that this is so short. It probably isn't my best writing either - I'm finding it hard to keep my concentration levels up on this fic at the moment. The next chapter is going to be longer, I promise. It should be up in a few days. Thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Seven:_   
Geneathen - More predictions. Goodness, you should consider becoming a Seer! :)   
Satans Little Princess - Thanx!   
Hikari47 - Yes, I can explain that - she didn't know.   
Noodlejelly -Don't worry. Anyway, no, Hermione did not know she was expecting - no-one did.   
scifisarah D - Thanx!   
E. C. R. Potter - Ginny's problem has now been revealed. :)   
Heaven - Thanx!   
Revia - Thank you. Your menacing glare will do nothing to me. i will simply ignore it. I will however, be posting the next chapter soon!   
bookworm4ever - Thanx!   
Oliverwoodschic - Thanx, I kinda realised I had written hardly anything for Draco and Padma, so I thought I'd add something!   
AznGolDragonGod - I realised that when I read your review.   
Kaitzee - Sirius. Hmm... where has he been? Outer Mongolia I believe...   
sugar-n-spice - Yes, I am a girl. You had a good point in your review, which is why in the next chapter I have a reasonable explainationfor why Hermione was in so much pain.   
aaliyah-potter - Thanx!   
hermioneharry4ever - I aim to shock, though I'm guessing that the miscarriage was as much of a shock to Hermione as well.   
HarryNZ - Thanx!   
Abby-Potter - There probably won't be too much more darker stuff. There's only a certain amount that I can write. This chapter was probably the last really dark chapter.   
Arwen Potter - Thanx!   
Harry + Hermione 2gether 4ever - Thanx! 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	9. Chapter Nine

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** _

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Nine**

*** 

  
  


A scream woke Hermione from her sleep. She fumbled for her wand and lit the candles in her room. At first she wondered why Harry wasn't there, but then she remembered that he, Seamus, Ron and Lavender had gone out for the evening. Ginny had claimed she was too tired to go out. 

Pulling her dressing gown tightly around her, she walked down the stairs to Ginny's room. That was where the scream had come from. She gently pushed open the door and looked in, her wand lighting her way. "Ginny?" she whispered. Looking at Ginny's bed, it was obvious the girl was still asleep. She moved around then woke with a start. She looked shocked at seeing Hermione stood in her doorway. 

"Seamus said there was something going on with you, Ginny," Hermione said, moving towards her. She sat on the edge of the bed. "What's going on?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"You screamed in your sleep," Hermione told her. "That usually means something is going on with someone." 

"I had a nightmare, that's all," Ginny said, in a tone which told Hermione she didn't wish to pursue the matter further. Hermione, however, persisted. 

"Then that would explain the bruises on your arm." 

Ginny looked at her arms. Her upper arms and wrists were covered in bruises. "It was an accident. I fell over." 

"I don't think falling over gives you those sorts of injuries." 

"Why aren't you out with the others?" Ginny asked quietly. 

"Harry told me to stay at home. He's very protective of me recently. It can be overbearing sometimes, and I'd appreciated it if you didn't change the subject. No, Ginny, tell me how you got those bruises or I will go against my better judgement and use a truth potion on you." 

Ginny looked away from Hermione, her head bowed. "He didn't mean to," she whispered. "He didn't. It was just a joke to start with." 

"What was?" 

"He flirted with me, I told him no," Ginny told her, still whispering, as though talking loudly would make it more real. "But he kept doing it. He kept getting more forceful. He does... _things_." Ginny looked up, tears streaming steadily from her eyes. 

"Oh God, Ginny," Hermione said, taking the girl into her arms. Ginny was sobbing uncontrollably. 

"You can't tell anyone, Hermione. I'll lose my job - he's my boss," she warned. 

"Ginny, you can't keep this a secret! He could be thrown in Azkaban for this!" 

Ginny moved away from Hermione. She wiped her tears shaking her head. "I like my job, Hermione." Hermione reached out and grabbed Ginny's shoulder. Ginny winced in pain. "You're hurting me." 

"I'm just reminding you how much your job means to you," said Hermione standing up. "If you know what's best for you, you'll... well, I'll leave it up to you what you do Ginny. You're old enough to make your own decisions." With one last look at Ginny, Hermione strode from the room, closing the door behind her. Through the door she could hear Ginny start sobbing again. 

***

As was usual on a Saturday afternoon when neither was working, Harry and Hermione spent their free time together in the living room, just enjoying being together. They lounged on the couch, Hermione's head resting on Harry's stomach, talking quietly. "How are you feeling?" Harry asked her softly, stroking her hair gently. 

Hermione closed her eyes. "Tired," she admitted. "But I'm with you so it doesn't matter." 

Harry smiled. "You mean the world to me, you know that right?" 

Her eyelids snapped open, and she looked up at him, her brown eyes looking slightly amused. "Of course I do, Harry. I married you, didn't I? You mean everything to me, too." 

"Good," he told her, kissing her. 

After a moments silence, Hermione said, "I want children, Harry." She sat up slightly, turning so she could look him. "I want a big family. I never thought about having children seriously until... recently. But I do." 

"You mean it?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded, biting her lip. 

"Yes," she whispered. "More than anything." 

Harry's smile grew and he leaned in to kiss her, but as he did so, there was a commotion in the fireplace. A fire suddenly ignited and a few seconds later, a figure appeared, swirling in the flames. He stepped out of the fire and looked around, coughing slightly from the ash. It was a couple of seconds before he spotted the couple. 

"Sirius?" asked Harry, amazed. It had been months since he had seen his godfather, as he had taken to travelling the world after being acquitted of the charges which had put him in Azkaban several years before. 

"Am I interrupting something?" asked Sirius with a cheeky grin. He looked completely different than the first time Harry had met him. His skin was no longer sallow, instead, it was rather tanned and his hair was shiny and well-kept, though he still wore it long. 

"Hey, Harry," said Hermione suddenly, resting her head on Harry's shoulder. "Does he know?" 

"Do I know what?" Sirius asked. 

Harry cast a sidelong glance at Hermione. "I don't believe he does. Shall we tell him?" 

"Tell me what?" asked Sirius impatiently. 

"I'd rather keep him in suspense," Hermione said with a sly smile. 

"But that's mean," pointed out Harry, grinning. Sirius was starting to get impatient now. 

"What's your point?" asked Hermione. 

"Oh, stop playing games, you two. What's going on? What's your big secret? I already know you're getting married, so don't bother stringing me along." 

"We're not getting married," Harry told him. 

"You called off the wedding?" Sirius asked in amazement. He looked incredibly disappointed, probably as much as he felt. 

"No, Sirius. We're not getting married, because we're already married." Hermione held up her hand. Her wedding ring glinted slightly in the afternoon sun which streamed in through the windows. 

"I certainly wasn't expecting that," Sirius said, beaming now, though looking shocked at the same time. "Next you'll be telling me Hermione's expecting." 

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Hermione shrugged and gave a wave of her hand to show she didn't care. "Uh, Sirius? Hermione's kind of had a miscarriage a couple of weeks ago," Harry told him. 

Sirius's face fell. "Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry." Hermione gave him a weak smile. 

"Please, don't be," she told him. "I didn't even know I was pregnant." 

"Cup of tea?" Harry asked Sirius, who nodded gratefully. Harry quickly left the room, presumably to put the kettle on, while Hermione told Sirius what had happened in Australia. 

When Harry came back carrying a tray laden with the teapot and three cups, Sirius, who had sat down in one of the large armchairs, was asking Hermione, "So do they have any idea why it happened or why you were in so much pain." 

Hermione took the cup of hot tea that Harry offered to her and smiled at her husband. She turned back to Sirius. "There's nothing definite, by my doctor, Dr Hammerclean, thinks I was in so much pain because I've had the Cruciatius Curse performed on me about fifteen times." She thought for a moment. "And that's just the times I remember." She sipped her tea slowly. "My insides are kind of messed up," she said. 

"Which is yet another reason to hate Voldemort," said Harry. Hermione smiled. 

"Yeah. There's not much proof to it, but the doctor thinks that women who've been placed under the curse are about seven times more likely to miscarry." It a quieter voice she added, "It's also harder for them to conceive." Harry put an arm around her and she leaned against him. Their discovery of this had been almost as hard on their relationship as the actual miscarriage. 

Sirius, too, looked downcast. Then, after a second, he grinned mischievously, and asked, "But I'm sure you're making up for it?" 

"Sirius!" exclaimed Hermione, slightly shocked at Sirius's implication. She blushed heavily and Sirius just raised an eyebrow. 

"If you weren't my godfather, I'd curse you," said Harry. He was blushing slightly as well. Sirius merely grinned. "I don't think you've matured at all since you left Hogwarts," Harry commented. 

"And people wonder why he's never got married," Hermione added, her face returning to it's normal pallor. 

Sirius looked slightly annoyed at the mention of his non-existent love life but he soon recovered and spent the rest of the afternoon teasing Harry and Hermione. 

***

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," apologised Hermione taking a seat across the table from Ginny. Even though it was breakfast time, everyone else was at work; Ron had taken a Portkey to Melbourne, Lavender was at Hogwarts teaching, Harry was at Quidditch practise with the Magpies and Seamus was at his work, whatever he did for a living. 

Ginny stirred her cup of coffee, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I wouldn't call it yelling," she said. "More like talking loudly in a stern voice." She grinned at her friends. 

"No hard feelings?" asked Hermione. 

"None whatsoever." She sighed deeply. "Actually I'm glad you did. If you hadn't I'd probably carry on doing this job for the rest of my life?" 

Hermione's brow furrowed. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. 

"I'm quitting. I, I can't keep doing this. I can't keep going to work and have this happen to me. I can't keep getting... I don't know how to put it." 

"Raped?" said Hermione bluntly. 

Ginny smiled slightly. "Yeah. Have you told anyone?" she asked nervously. 

Yawning, Hermione shook her head. "No. It's not my place to tell anyone. I'm glad you've done something about. I couldn't stand too see one of my friends get hurt again." 

It took a few seconds for what Hermione said to register with Ginny. "Again?" she asked curiously. "Hermione, has this happened to someone before?" 

Hermione stared at the table for a second, she stood and walked over to the kettle which had just boiled. As she poured the boiling water into the teapot he said, "When I was younger, about... six or seven, I had a friend. She was my best friend actually. Every time that we did PE, I noticed these bruises on her arms and legs. She'd always cover them, but I'd see them." Hermione leant against the work top. "One day she slept around my house and she had a nightmare or something. She was struggling and saying things. Her stepfather was abusing her." 

"You mean he..." 

She shrugged. "I don't know what he was doing to her. All I know is that she was deeply traumatised. About a month or so later, she just disappeared. I never saw her again. My mum thought that Social Service's had intervened." 

"Why don't you ever talk about when you were younger?" Ginny asked as Hermione poured out her cup of tea. 

"There's nothing to talk about really," said Hermione. 

As they slipped into idle chatter, neither noticed a figure slip away from where he had been listening to their conversation outside the kitchen door. 

***

"Hey, Ginny, have you had time to look at my manuscript yet?" 

A pale-faced Ginny Weasley looked up from the cardboard box she was filling with the clutter that covered her desk. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Eva." 

"It's okay," said Eva, taking a seat opposite Ginny's desk. She was dressed in usual day wear, comprising of a pair of rather faded flared jeans and a Muggle rugby shirt. Her blonde hair had been pulled away from her face in a loose ponytail. Looking at her it was hard to believe she was one of the most popular romance novelists in the country. "You get busy, I understand that." 

Ginny shook her head. "It's not that. I, um, I've quit." 

"Come again?" 

"I've quit. I can't stay here any longer. The moment I packed up I'm leaving." 

Eva looked worried. She had known Ginny since Ginny had begun work there. She often chose Ginny to be the editor for her manuscripts. "Why? I though you loved here?" 

"I do. But I can't stay here. My boss, Mr Johanasson, he... does things to me." 

"What kind..." Eva started to asked, but then she realised what Ginny meant. "Oh, God." 

Ginny gave her a wry smile, and placed the last photograph of her family in the box. She sealed it with her wand and picked up her cloak from the back of her chair. "I guess this is it, Eva," she said holding out her hand. 

"Not necessarily," said Eva, standing up. She pulled something out of the backpack she had slung over her shoulder. It was a small business card. She grabbed a quill from a nearby desk and scribbled something down on the back of it. She handed the card to Ginny who took it and looked at it curiously. On the back of her details, Eva had written a time and an address. "Can you meet me there and then?" she asked. 

Ginny nodded. "Why?" 

Eva smiled slightly. "I have a rather interesting proposition for you." She Disapparated before Ginny could ask her anything about this 'proposition', and with a shrug, Ginny put the card in her bag. 

Just as she stood to leave, the door to the office opened with a bang. An angry-looking Seamus stormed in. He didn't just look angry, he looked absolutely furious. He marched over to the door of the office of Ginny's boss and went in. Scooping the box up in her arms, Ginny dashed over to the office, along with the rest of her now ex-co-workers. 

She arrived there just as Seamus swung a punch at her boss, planting a punch on his jaw. The thirty-year old staggered back, holding onto his desk for support. "That is for assaulting my girlfriend," he told him angrily. He punched him again with an impressive right-hook. "That is for all the times I haven't known about." Yet again he punched the man, whose face was now bleeding and bruised. "That is for anyone else you've done those things to." Seamus was livid by now. "And this," he added, "is just for the hell of it." He punched him one last time, before storming back out of the office. 

Ginny followed him. Outside the building she grabbed onto his arm. "What was that for?" she demanded. 

"All those things he did to you, Ginny," Seamus told her. The anger seemed to be leaving him. "I heard you talking to Hermione in the kitchen this morning." Ginny thought back. He was right, she had confided in Hermione about her decision to quit her job. 

"You didn't have to beat him up!" she cried. 

"Right, because quitting your job is dealing with your problems? I cll it running away from your problems!" 

"And I call it dealing with my problems in a mature and sensible way," Ginny retorted. "What you did was unacceptable. It was immature, it was selfish, it was downright foolish and it was probably the worst thing you could have done!" Her face softened, as did her tone. "It was also incredibly sweet," she said softly, reaching up to touch his face. 

Seamus smiled slightly. "Thank you," he told her, kissing her gently. 

***

_**A/N:** Sirius is back! Yay! Also Seamus was the knight-in-shining-armour; I hope that pleased some of you. There'll probably be a bit more on Ginny's assault storyline in the future... Please review._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Eight:_   
ms. potter - Thanx!   
sugar-n-spice - I promise I won't make up spells to explain things. Anyway, I think that's tacky.   
Emili Potter - Thanx. Strange coincidence, huh?   
Arwen Potter - Virginia is Ginny.   
evil666 - Thanx!   
Hermione1909 - Thank you. Different is... well, it's not my middle name, but anyway, I like to be different.   
E. C. R. Potter - I agreed. Waaaaaaay too much angst in the last chapter. I must be stopped!   
Geneathen - I wrote the knight in shining armour scene after I read your review. 'As the Quaffle Turns'? Cool title. Sounds like a very cheesy soap opera *lightbulb flashes* fic idea!   
AznGolDragonGod - Was Seamus as the knight in shining armour good enough for you? draco's princess - Thanx. Ginny was the only one I could think of to put in the situation.   
Sonata - Favourites? Aww... that's so sweet.   
hermioneharry4ever - Thanx!   
Oliverwoodschic - Yeah, I know it was a short chapter. This one makes up for it, though.   
Harry + Hermione 2gether 4ever - It's easy: I just stop typing. :)   
Kaitzee - Thanx, emotions aren't really my favourite thing to write, especially angsty ones. About Sirius, yes, he does send the occassional owl, but he's too busy travelling to come and visit very often. 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	10. Chapter Ten

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Wow. Chapter Ten's here already. I'm a little amazed by that, I don't know if anyone else is. When I re-started_ The Matchmakers _I never thought it would get this far. I am so sorry it took this long to get it out, but I've got to the stage where this fic is getting low on the list of my 'most interesting things to write'. If anyone has some ideas or inspiration for me, don't hesitate to tell me - I won't be offended or anything._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Ten**

*** 

  
  


Ginny met Eva just a few days later. Eva had arranged for them to meet in a rather exclusive club just outside of Glasgow. She had been slightly intimidated by the place, as it was a known hang out for celebrities, but when she had told the man at the door her name, he had instantly ushered her inside and taken her to a sort of booth on the second floor of the club where Eva was waiting for her. 

The club was painted black, with chrome table and chairs. Neon lights flashed on the dance floor from which the latest music could be heard. _The Club_, for that was its name, was the ultimate in cool places for young witches and wizards. The second floor wasn't really a floor, more of a platform. From the booth the bouncer led her too Ginny had a clear view of the dance floor. She was pretty sure she could see Parvati Patil and Trisha McLean down there, dancing with a couple of very good looking Wizards. 

She was slightly more dressed up than normal, and was sipping on an exotic cocktail. "Hi, Ginny," she said brightly. "How are you?" 

"Uh, I'm just fine, thanks," Ginny replied, albeit a little uneasily. 

Eva grinned at her. "That's good. Right. Down to business. My agent quit about a week ago. He wants to spend more time with his family. His daughter's just about to give birth and he wants to devote his time to his grandchildren. I need an agent and I thought of you." 

"You're offering me a job?" Ginny asked in amazement. 

Eva nodded. "Do you want a job?" 

"You want _me_ to be your agent?" 

"Stop babbling, Ginny. I want you to be my agent. Are you up for it?" 

Ginny thought carefully for a minute or so. She then nodded confidently. "You bet." 

"Good," Eva said, reaching across the table to shake Ginny's hand. "You're my new agent," she declared. Amazed that she suddenly had a job, Ginny shook her hand. A huge grin formed on her freckled face and she sat back in her seat. This was definitely a turning point in her life. 

***

The next few months at the Cottage were pretty uneventful. September turned into October, bringing the full effect of autumn with it, including the trees losing their leaves and floods in several parts of the country. Luckily the Cottage wasn't flooded, nor was any of the surrounding area. 

October also brought shorter days and longer nights. Halloween came and went, bringing in November. On November the 5th the occupants of the Cottage held a huge party to celebrate Bonfire Night, to which they invited their other friends and relatives. There was a magnificent fireworks display which has been organised by Harry, Ron and Seamus. The papers called the party one of the social events of the year, as the guests not only included Harry, Ron and Hermione, but the entire England Quidditch team, Harry's team mates from the Montrose Magpies and several other celebrities and Quidditch stars, including Calista Lovejoy, the world renowned romance novelist (AKA Eva Greenaway). 

This party was followed by the revelation on Harry and Hermione's marriage. Apparently one of Hermione's 'colleagues' had sneaked into the party and had heard Harry and Hermione discussing it. For days afterwards the papers had been full of it (including yet more predictions from supposed Seers). There were even rumours that Hermione was pregnant, though these rumours were quickly quashed by Harry and Hermione. 

Midway through November, the weather began to change again, becoming more winter-like and cold. In the morning, the garden of the Cottage would more often than not, be covered in frost. It was also about that time when Hermione began to get ill. 

"You mean she hasn't eaten anything?" Harry asked Ginny worriedly. Ginny nodded. They were stood outside of the door of Harry and Hermione's bedroom. 

"I took some breakfast in for her a few hours ago, but she didn't touch it. Actually, Harry, I don't think she's moved at all in the last few hours." Ginny bit her lip. "There's something wrong, I'm sure of it." 

Harry sighed miserably. "I'd better go and see if I can get her to come downstairs." 

He pushed open the door and walked over to the bed where Hermione lay, curled up slightly looking pale and drawn. He sat on the bed beside her and brushed a strand of hair from his wife's eyes. "Hermione, honey, what's wrong." 

She looked at him slowly. "I'm exhausted," she told him. "I also have a really bad backache and my head feels like I've got hammers pounding at it. It's all making me feel sick to my stomach." 

"Why don't you come downstairs?" Harry suggested. 

"No," she said, turning slightly to look at him. "If I move, I think I'll throw up." She gulped. "Actually, I think I _am_ going to throw up," she said, sitting up suddenly. She practically ran from the bedroom. A second later Harry heard the bathroom door be slammed shut on the floor below. 

Harry was starting to feel a little freaked out by all of this now. Hermione really wasn't well. He couldn't help but notice that Ginny had strung up various healing crystals around the bed and one of her special candles was almost completely burned out on the bedside table. At Hogwarts Ginny had become very interested in medicinal magicks. He had been quite surprised when she hadn't become a doctor or something similar. 

Hermione came back upstairs a few minutes later. She collapsed back onto the bed with a groan. "I shouldn't have done that," she mumbled. 

"What? Collapsed onto the bed?" 

Hermione nodded. "It's making my head spin." Resting her head against the cool pillows, she asked, "Can you close the curtains. I think maybe some sleep will make me feel better." 

Harry nodded and closed the heavy drape, blocking out the sunlight. Now the only light in the room came from the small stub of candle which was burning on the table beside Hermione. "Is that better?" he asked, turning around. He smiled slightly. She had already fallen asleep. 

He walked quietly over to the bed and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before quietly leaving. Before he closed the door, he stole one last glance at her. She looked so peaceful as she slept, Harry thought. 

In the kitchen he spoke with Ginny and Ron. Ron was taking some time off work and was busy cooking lunch for them and Ginny was sat at the table going through some paperwork, and arranging various book signings for Eva. "How is she?" Ron asked, looking up from the soup that was bubbling away in a cauldron on the stove. 

"Sleeping," Harry informed them. "I don't think she's doing any better. The healing crystals don't seem to be doing anything. Are you sure they're not making her worse?" 

Ginny shook her head, dipping her quill in a pot of violet ink. "Nah. They don't make people ill. They cure them." 

"They've been up for three days and they've done nothing," pointed out Ron. 

"They're obviously taking their time," said Ginny, folding a piece of parchment in half. She put it in an envelope and beckoned her owl, Demeter, who was perching on a chair, over. She attached the envelope to Demeter's leg and the owl flew off out the window. "I'm going down to Diagon Alley in a minute. Do you want me to pop into the Apothecary and see if there's anything I can find?" 

"Would you?" Harry asked, slightly relieved. Ginny nodded. She screwed the lid back on her pot of ink and stood, picking her cloak off the back of the chair. She picked up a few files and said, "I'll go now. I have to drop these papers off at Flourish and Blotts. See you later." Ginny Disapparated with a pop, appearing a second later in Diagon Alley. 

The street was bustling with people. Fighting her way through the crowds of people ('Obviously deciding to start their Christmas shopping early this year,' thought Ginny with a pang of guilt. She was one of those people who waited until the last moment for her shopping) to Flourish and Blotts. She spoke briefly with the manager, finalising some details for a book signing that Eva was doing in two weeks and then headed to the Apothecary at the other end of Diagon Alley. 

As she opened the door, a small bell rang and Ginny was greeted with the smell of many different potions ingredients. If there was anything to get rid of Hermione's complaints, it would be in here. The Apothecary smelled musty and even slightly putrid, though Ginny had to admit that she like the smell. There was something... _magical_ about it. 

A wizened old lady appeared behind the counter. She wore lurid orange robes (reminding Ginny slightly of Ron when he went to see the Cannons play) and had short, grey hair. She looked about eighty and was smiling happily. She was a little eerie, Ginny decided. 

"How may I help you, dear?" she asked kindly. 

Ginny looked up from the display of powdered mandrake which had caught her eye and smiled uneasily. "Um, my friend is ill. I'm looking for something that might cure her." 

The old lady nodded in an understanding fashion. "Of course. What are her symptoms?" 

Closing her eyes, Ginny tried to remember what exactly was wrong with Hermione. "She has backaches, headaches and fatigue." Then she added, "I think she's been sick a few times as well." 

To Ginny's utmost surprise, the old lady behind the counter chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't say your friend was ill at all." 

"You wouldn't?" said Ginny. 

"No, dearie: she's pregnant." 

***

_**A/N:** Ooh - cliffhanger! Being mean is fun! Is Hermione pregnant, or is she just ill? Whatever the outcome, you'll have to read the next chapter to find out..._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Nine:_   
Kaitzee - I'll read your fic when I get round to it (I'm a busy gal!). Don't worry, J/L isn't really that bad. As for the font, it might have something to do with the way I write it - I do it as an HTML document and I write it so that my font is as similar as I can get it to ff.net's font.   
Geneathen - 'As the Quaffle Turns' is still just a very distant thought (there are loads of fics that I want to write before I even did that). As for your predictions/ideas - I like to hear them! People's reviews inspire me.   
Oliverwoodschic - I haven't really thought about Ron's reaction. I'm going to have to find some way of working that in to the story.   
AznGolDragonGod - I think beating the boss to a bloody pulp worked quite nicely! :)   
bookworm4ever - Thanx, I aim to amaze!   
Em - Stupid and sweet: that pretty much sums up Seamus. Only joking - Seamus is in fact a very intelligent character... but more on that in the next chapter.   
aaliyah-potter - Yeah, I couldn't stand to see Ginny get hurt much more, and I don't even like her very much.   
Satans Little Princess - Thanx!   
E. C. R. Potter - Yup, things are definitley looking up. Things were getting bit too depressing for my liking, so there should be some more comedy in the next few chapters.   
HarryNZ - Sirius the bachelor. I'm still not sure whether he should have a love interest or not.   
Sonata - Thanx, I can't wait to see where I take this either. ;)   
Noodlejelly - Thanx, I like to introduce people to new ships.   
Arwen Potter - I'm not sure yet whether Sirius will fall in love with anyone. If he did, it would probably have to be a new character - I can't really imagine him with any of the existing characters.   
ms. potter - I'll try not to keep people waiting too long for the next chapter.   
sugar-n-spice - I couldn't help adding that line it - it just came to me!   
Hermione1909 - Yeah, it would be an interesting concept, wouldn't it? 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	11. Chapter Eleven

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Okay, after the cliffhanger from the last chapter, I'm sure you're all dying to get on with the story. So here it is; Chapter Eleven..._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Eleven**

*** 

  
  


"What?" spluttered Ginny. "Are you sure?" 

The old Witch looked thoughtful. "Well, I can't be sure, but it certainly sounds like it to me. Sounds like she's having a rough time, as well." 

"Thanks for your help," said Ginny, heading towards the door. She desperately wanted to get home to the Cottage. "You've been great." 

"No problem, dear," called the old Witch as the door shut behind Ginny with a tinkling of the bell. Smiling, she shook her head, and began to weight out some strange looking powders. 

Back at the Cottage, Hermione was now awake and downstairs. Looking at her, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong. She was down in the kitchen with Ron and Harry, and laughing at Ron who had almost fallen over, tripping over his own feet. 

"Are you feeling better?" Ginny asked. 

Hermione nodded, finishing off the soup that Ron had given her. "I feel great," she proclaimed, "I think that whatever was wrong with me has gone entirely." 

"Did you get anything at the Apothecary?" Harry asked, folding up his copy of the Daily Prophet. He had been reading a report of the last Cannons versus Harpies game. The Magpies were playing the Harpies in their next match, and he had been trying to see if there was anything interesting. 

"Oh, no. I wanted to speak to you about that, Herm." She motioned for Hermione to follow her. With a bemused expression on her face, which had regained some of its normal colour, Hermione rose from her seat at the table and followed Ginny into the living room. Ginny shut the door behind them, almost as if she were afraid they were going to be overheard. 

"What's the matter, Gin?" asked Hermione, confused by her friend's strange behaviour. 

"I spoke to the lady at the Apothecary," Ginny old her. 

"Who? Mrs Prattle at the Aldous Apothecary? She's a very nice old lady. A little strange, granted, but very nice." 

"I don't know her name!" Ginny told her. "But I told her your symptoms and she gave me a very interesting diagnosis." Hermione looked at her sceptically. "The more I think about it, the more I think she's right." 

"And what did she say exactly?" asked Hermione, folding her arms. It was obvious she thought Mrs Prattle wasn't all there. 

"That you're pregnant." 

Any colour which had gone back to Hermione's face, disappeared almost instantly. "Excuse me?" 

"From what I told her, she thinks you're pregnant. It actually kinda makes sense: throwing up, back ache, head aches..." Ginny gave her a weak smile. "It sounds likely." 

Hermione looked absolutely shocked. Her gaze focused on the floor, not meeting Ginny's eyes. She was shaking her head slightly, and Ginny could see her lips moving, as if she were repeating the information to herself. She was trying to process this new theory. 

"That's not quite the diagnosis I was expecting," she said quietly after a minute. "Uh, Ginny, I, uh, I have to go and see Harry," she said. She fumbled slightly, trying to open the door. It was as if the handle wouldn't do what she wanted it to do. After a couple of tries, she managed to open it. Ginny could see her shaking, and followed her silently back to the kitchen. 

***

"In all your time with us you have been a valued employee. Your hard work and dedication has help make the Nimbus Corporation what it is. Without your work, I doubt if a lot of the work on Project 17 would have been completed. I know for a fact that you will be sorely missed by all of your colleagues." 

Seamus bowed his sandy head, looking at the desk in front of him. His eyes focused on the small plaque that read 'Owner of the Nimbus Corporation', the words engraved in the bronze by a very skilled person. The office he was in was a slightly depressing place, with dull beige walls and sensible black funiture. There were, however, photographs and posters on the wall, giving the office, which was obviously a place ofwork, a rather... immature edge. 

The man in the chair on the other side of the desk probably looked just as unhappy as he did. "Please get to the point, sir." 

"Very well. There have been a series of rather unfortunate accidents here during the past few weeks. Everyone I've spoken to seem to bring up your name. I think that the only way for this company to move forward, is for you to leave us." 

"You're firing me?" 

"No, I couldn't do that." After a moments silence he added, "As you're not too far off leaving anyway, I have put you down for early retirement." 

"Thank you, sir." 

"That's no problem." He held up his wand, and pointed it across the desk. He muttered a memory charm, and a few seconds later there was one less person who knew exactly what the Nimbus Corporation did. With a snap of his fingers, two burly men appeared at his side. Upon the sight of a dazed man sitting opposite their boss, they knew exactly what had happened, and escorted him from the building. 

Placing his wand back in it's holder, Seamus leaned back in his large, leather chair. The Muggle half of him couldn't help but think of a television show called 'Mastermind' whenever he sat in it. 

Sighing, he pressed the small button on his desk. A buzzing sound could be heard, then a second later, a cheerful female voice filtered through the speaker that also sat on his desk. "Good morning, sir. Is there anything I can do to help you?" 

"Cancel my three o'clock meeting," he instructed. "I'm not in the mood to meet with a group of drunk Bulgarians. Get me the latest update on Project 17 as well. Oh, and Lara, book me a manicure. My cuticles are in a dreadful state." 

"Certainly, sir," his secretary said brightly. There was another buzzing sound, and the intercom went dead. Seamus picked up the cup of coffee which was resting on the stack of parchment he had allowed to pile up. He took a swig, and instantly spat the cold, bitter liquid back into the cup. He pressed the intercom button again, and before Lara could say anything, he said, "Get me another cup of coffee. Make sure it's hot this time." 

He leant back in his chair, resting his head against the back of it. It was just another normal day as the owner of the Nimbus Corporation. 

***

_**A/N:** I'm so sorry that this chapter was so short; the next chapter should be out in a few days._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Ten:_   
invisblegrl - Thanx. I'm trying to complete this story, I really am!   
Noodlejelly - Than you, your reviews are very much appreciated, and I think I should be flattered that you can't think of anything new to say! :)   
Karen - Yes, things are definitely looking up at the Cottage.   
draco's princess - Thanx!   
Arwen Potter - Thanx!   
Hikari47 - Thanx!   
E. C. R. Potter - Goes along well? Not likely....   
atomicprincess - Yes, I kinda noticed you liked this fic. Don't worry - I have the next chapter almost finished.   
AznGolDragonGod - Thanx!   
Satans Little Princess - Thanx!   
bookworm4ever - I will!   
Dark Moon - Thganx, the next chapter should be out in a couple of days.   
aaliyah-potter - Thanx!   
Sonata - I'm glad I'm not the only one! I have this habit of starting stories and not having an ending. I just keep writing, and writing and writing...   
hermioneharry4ever - Thanx. Wow - you actually paid attention in Science? That's amazing! Personally I find Science incredibly boring.   
Oliverwoodschic - I hadn't realised that until I read your review. There's kind of a mention of Dean/Parvati in the next chapter. Thanx for reminding me.   
Padfoot - Thanx!   
Kaitzee - I think it's a bit early for me to start deciding on names. The one thing I do know is that the name will not be Lily or James. That's too overused. Anyway, I love that quote! One of my current favourite quotes is: 'Everything is possible unless you're Britney Spears and want to sing'. 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	12. Chapter Twelve

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Okay, here's Chapter Twelve. Some good news (at least for me anyway) - this is my most-reviewed story ever! Yay! Maybe I can eventually get to two hundred reviews? I've got nowt else to say about it, so on with the chapter..._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Twelve**

*** 

  
  


Hermione walked into the kitchen of the Cottage, shaking slightly. "Uh, Harry, I need to speak to you in private." She looked at Ron who shrugged as if to say 'don't mind me'. 

"Ron, out!" ordered Ginny. Seeing the glare from his sister, Ron put down the spoon he had been using to stir the soup and cast a quick look at the simmering mixture before following Ginny out of the kitchen. 

As Ginny closed the door behind them, leaving Harry and Hermione in private, Ron asked, "What's all that about? If my soup boils over, I am going to curse you." 

"You wouldn't dare," said Ginny with an innocent smile. "Anyway, what Hermione wants to say is between her and Harry." 

"Can I at least listen at the door?" Ron whined. 

"No! That's rude. I'm ashamed of you, Ron. I'm ashamed that I didn't think of it sooner." With a grin aimed towards her brother, Ginny stood closer to the door, trying to hear what was being said in the kitchen. Ron quickly followed her actions, not wanting to miss anything. 

"Hermione, what is it?" asked Harry worriedly. Just by looking at her he could tell that she was distressed and clearly worried about something. 

"I think you should sit down," said Hermione quietly, looking at the floor. "We need to talk." 

"For a start, I am sitting down, and we are talking. Hermione, relax. Tell me what's the matter." 

Hermione took a deep breath. "Ginny went to the Apothecary." 

"I already knew that." 

"No, I mean she spoke to the owner of the Apothecary, who, by the way, used to be a top doctor at St. Mungo's," Hermione explained. Harry still wasn't sure what she was going on about. 

"What exactly does that mean?" 

"That means that Mrs Prattle is pretty much accurate with her diagnosis's." 

"And what was her diagnosis?" asked Harry curiously. Obviously what Mrs Prattle had told Ginny was upsetting her. Hermione bit her lip, still staring intently at the floor. She heard a hiss as Ron's soup boiled over. 

"That I'm pregnant." 

"That doesn't make sense," said Harry, standing up, so that he could get closer to Hermione. "The doctors said that the chances of us having children are slim to none. We weren't even trying." 

Hermione ran a hand through her hair, which she realised, was in dire need of a trim. "I know it doesn't. I never even considered that I might be pregnant until Ginny said that to me. It was probably bottom of my list of possible problems. Heck, I don't even think it was _on_ my list!" 

"Do you think she could be right?" asked Harry quietly, standing directly in front of Hermione, who still wouldn't meet his eyes and was currently twisting her wedding ring round her finger. "Stop that," he instructed, taking hold of her hands. She looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears. 

"There's only one way to find out," she said quietly. 

Harry nodded, understanding. He dropped his hold of her hands and walked back over to the table where his wand was lying, nestled among the daily papers. He walked back over to her, holding it nervously in his hand. "Are you ready for this?" he asked. 

She nodded, and sniffed. "Yes, I think so." She pulled up her pale blue T-shirt to reveal her stomach, which was still slightly tanned from their summer in Australia. Harry placed the tip of his wand about an inch or so above her belly button, and looked Hermione in the eyes. 

"_Maternus revelae_," they muttered in unison. 

At first nothing seemed to happen, but after a few second, an ethereal blue glow emanated from Hermione's stomach, and there also seemed to be a slightly more concentrated area of blue on her lower abdomen. Hermione inhaled sharply, and the blue glow faded after a few moments. 

They stood there in silence for a few moments. A solitary tear ran down Hermione's cheek. "We're going to be parents," she whispered hoarsely. 

Harry nodded, feeling these amazing emotions begin to build up inside him. This was even better than winning the Quidditch World Cup or getting married. He kissed Hermione gently, a huge grin forming on his face. "I'm going to be a father," he said in an amazed whisper. "I'm going to be a father," he said, louder again. Then he yelled it. "I'm going to be a father!" 

Hermione laughed slightly, and they heard a loud thud just outside the kitchen door. Wondering what the noise was, and having their sneaky suspicious, Harry and Hermione went to the door to investigate. Upon opening the door, they found a happy looking Ginny crouched over Ron trying to revive him; he had fainted. 

***

"I'm not cleaning this up, you know," said Parvati, surveying the large collection of bridal magazines and scraps of material that covered the floor. She placed the tall glasses of pumpkin juice on the coffee table and then sank onto the sofa. 

Padma looked up at her twin from her seat on the floor, a magazine open on her lap, then looked around. "I think I'm getting a headache," she moaned, placing a hand on her forehead. 

"Why don't you just get Draco to help you?" Parvati asked. Padma had started planning her and Draco's wedding two weeks before and she had been doing all the planning without any help from Draco. 

"Because I don't want his help. This is my job." 

"Surely you don't mean that!" 

"I do. Anyway, if I let him help he'll take over completely. He's an all or nothing kinda guy." 

Parvati shuddered. "Okay, creepy mental pictures there." She studied her sister intently. "What do you see in him?" she asked. 

"You're still not used to the idea of me marrying him, are you?" asked Padma sadly, closing the magazine, and joining her sister on the sofa. Parvati shook her head, avoiding her sister's eye contact in case she offended her. Padma bit her lower lip. "I don't mind. You were a Gryffindor - I can understand you hating him. He was in Slytherin, after all." 

"See, that's where you were lucky being in Ravenclaw - there were no major house rivalries." 

"Huh," scoffed Padma. "As if. We weren't exactly Switzerland, you know. Half the house thought Gryffindor were better than Slytherin. The other half thought Slytherin was better." 

"And what about you?" inquired Parvati. 

"I didn't care. My friends were all Ravenclaw's, except for you and Hermione. And I didn't know Herm that well until sixth year." She paused for a moment. "Did you honestly ever think that she'd get married to Harry? Or were you one of the one's who thought she was destined to be with Ron?" 

Parvati blushed heavily. "I actually thought she'd end up with Ron until they broke up. Then in seventh year I helped get Harry and Hermione together!" 

Padma smirked. "And what about you?" she asked. 

"What about me?" asked Parvati, draining the last of her pumpkin juice. 

"You and Dean. Are you ever going to settle down?" 

Parvati groaned. She had been plagued with this question ever since Padma and Draco had become engaged, their mother pressuring her and Dean to settle down. "We're not ready to settle down!" she whined. "I'm only like, twenty! If mother had her way we'd be married with a child by now! Think of the stretch marks!" 

"I'd rather not, thanks," giggled Padma. She pulled her wand out of the pocket of her forest green robes and flicked it lazily, saying a quick cleaning spell as she did so. The bridal magazines flew into a large pile beside the coffee table and the scraps of material folded themselves neatly. 

"So what's it going to be called?" 

"What's what going to be called?" 

"Your first child," said Parvati solemnly. "Can I be Godmother?" 

"Hold up! We're not even married yet!" protested Padma, almost spilling some pumpkin juice on the cream coloured carpet. "We're not having children yet!" 

"But you will." 

"Yes, probably in the distant future. Not right this second. Can we not talk about my love life?" 

"Only if we don't talk about _my_ love life," agreed Parvati. Padma nodded and Parvati grinned wickedly. "What about Ron and Lav's love life." 

"When do you think he's going to propose?" asked Padma, eagerly, vaguely recalling the time during fourth year where she had been his date for the Yule Ball. It hadn't been a great success, and while they had dated briefly at the start on fifth year, they had made a joint decision never to talk about it. 

"I think he's the sentimental kind - Valentine's day," Parvati said thoughtfully. 

"Really? I pictured him more of the 'spur-of-the-moment' kinda guy," said Padma. 

"Nah, not Ron. The poor guy would be too nervous. I bet he'll have it all planned out - he'll probably memorise a speech or something." 

"I bet he'd faint if they found out she was pregnant!" said Padma, giggling again. There was something about conversations between just her and her sister that made her more giggly. 

"I think they're going to have five or six," mused Parvati. 

"Kids?! No. They'll have seven." 

"Can you really imagine Lavender being pregnant seven times?" 

"I can't imagine her being pregnant _once_!" admitted Padma. 

***

"I think he's having an affair," said Ginny sadly. 

"What makes you think that?" asked Hermione. 

"He's always at the office!" exclaimed Ginny, throwing her hands up in the air. She sank into a chair opposite the table from Hermione. ""He's barely ever home and when he is he's to tired to do anything." 

Hermione pulled a face. "I didn't want to know that!" she told Ginny. 

"Grow up, Hermione. I didn't mean _that_!" Ginny frowned. "Then again, maybe that's why he's so tired." 

"Have you even thought about asking him?" Hermione inquired, looking up from her large glass of water. When Ginny shook her head, Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well why don't you?" 

"Because I'm afraid he's going to lie to me." 

"So you'd rather you never spoke to him." 

"Yes. No. Oh, I don't know!" Ginny was getting annoyed with herself. "What if I accuse him and I'm wrong?" She rubbed the space between her eyes in frustration. "It could ruin our relationship." 

"I can't imagine Seamus cheating on you," Hermione said. "It's obvious he's in love with you." 

Ginny looked at her sceptically. "You really think so?" Hermione nodded enthusiastically. Ginny sighed. "I don't know how to approach him," she said quietly. 

The sound of the front door could be heard opening, and a second later Seamus's Irish brogue rang through the house in his standard greeting. "Hi, honey! I'm home!" 

"Now's your chance," Hermione said grinning, standing up. "I have to go." Her smile growing even more she added, "Me and Harry are going shopping?" It had been a week since Hermione had discovered she was pregnant, and Harry had taken the prospect of being a father very seriously indeed. He had become incredibly sweet and romantic towards Hermione, so much in fact it was almost nauseating. Hermione had scolded him several times for being too overprotective. 

Ginny smiled, but then realised that meant Hermione leaving was a chance for her to talk to Seamus. Frowning deeply, she bade Hermione farewell as she Disapparated and Seamus strolled into the kitchen of the Cottage, the jacket of his suit slung over his shoulder. 

"Hi, Ginny," he said brightly, placing his jacket over the back of a chair. He kissed her cheek. "How's your day been?" 

Ginny shrugged morosely. "Seamus, I think we need to talk." 

"About what?" Seamus was clearly confused by Ginny's statement, and his brow was creased with worry. "Have I done something wrong? Did I forget your birthday?" 

"No, you idiot. You didn't forget my birthday." Ginny sighed and looked up at Seamus who was stood beside her. "It's about work." 

"Is Eva working you too hard?" he asked, concerned. 

She winced. "No, not my work. _Your_ work." She locked eyes with him. "You're constantly working there for unnatural hours and you never talk about your work either. It occurred to me yesterday that I don't even know what you do for a living!" 

"Ah." Seamus bit his lip and sat down at the table, opposite Ginny. He held her hands across the table and stared at her for a moment. "I should have know I couldn't keep it from you forever, Ginny. My work is kind of secretive." 

"I guessed that," said Ginny snidely, wrenching her hands away from Seamus. 

Seamus bowed his head. After a moment of consideration, he took a deep breath and began. 

***

_**A/N:** Again, another cliffhanger! I couldn't help it - it just happened. Oh, well. Please review._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Eleven:_   
babooshka - You're right - 'Hermione' is a hard act to follow. Some interesting name choices, though.   
hermione - Thanx!   
Satans Little Princess - I'm writing as fast as I can!   
bookworm4ever - Here's the next chapter - I hope you liked it!   
AznGolDragonGod - No problem, I'm not exactly a talkative person, especially in reviews.   
Dark Moon - Thanx!   
HarryNZ - Sorry it was so short. This one's longer to make up for it.   
Emili Potter - Thanx!   
punkpixie87 - Actually, I've been writing fanfics for almost a year now. I first joined ff.net on the 12th of May last year.   
Oliverwoodschic - Yeah, it was kind of meant to be confusing.   
Kaitzee - Love the quote. Here's another one: _Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society_. For some reason I thought of Draco Malfoy when I heard that one.   
E. C. R. Potter - You'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens next... :)   
aaliyah-potter - Thanx. I should feel honoured (about the signature and the comment that I should be an author. That makes me feel old though, for some reason. Strange, huh?).   
Hikari47 - Thanx!   
Noodlejelly - Thanx. The best of luck with your exams (I'm assuming they're your GCSE's. Luckily I have another year until I do the bulk of mine).   
hermioneharry4ever - I was very strange, I do agree. Did he really come across like Vernon Dursley? I can assure you that it was unintentional.   
Sonata - Thanx. Sorry about the cliffie, but they just happen. I get to a point where I just have o start the new chapter. I can't help it! 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Wow! I passed he 200 review mark! Yay! I am soooo sorry it took so long! My computer had a couple of viruses, so I couldn't write anything for over a week, and since I got the comp. back, I haven't exactly had any motivation to write. This chapter's the first thing I've written since then, so if it's a bit below par I apologise now._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Thirteen**

*** 

  
  


This was the first time that Seamus had ever had to explain his job to anyone, save his parents who knew exactly what went on at the Nimbus Corporation. People who he had talked usually merely inquired where he worked, and when he told them they were happy to leave it at that. Employees of the Nimbus Corporation weren't exactly known for being vocals about their jobs. 

"As you already know, I'm not a pure blooded Wizard," Seamus explained, deciding that this was the best place to start his story. Ginny gave him a patronising look. 

"You're right. I _did_ know that. Can you cut to the chase?" 

Seamus licked his lips. "Right. Well, about forty years ago, my grandfather, my mother's father, left Hogwarts and not being able to find a job that he was satisfied with, he founded a small laboratory where other organisations and even the Ministry of Magic paid him, and several others that he employed, to conduct experiments and do research into a variety of causes." 

"So?" Ginny asked, not quite understanding what he was getting at. 

"So they got results. They did their jobs and they got money. With the money that my grandfather earned, he invested it into the company allowing the Nimbus Research Facility to expand, even merging with several other companies which specialised in different areas of magic and research." 

Seamus began to tap his fingers on the table, in an almost impatient manner. 

"The company became the Nimbus Corporation," he told Ginny. 

"What exactly does that have to do with you?" Ginny asked. "You work for your grandfather's research company?" 

"No." 

Ginny looked perplexed. "You don't work there?" 

"I own it." 

"Oh." Ginny's eyes widened. "Uh..." She was lost for words. What exactly could you say to that? She had believed him to be cheating when he had in reality been running a major company. 

"My grandfather died when I was fifteen," explained Seamus, "and it turned out that he left the company to me." 

"And what exactly was a fifteen year old supposed to do with a research company?" Ginny asked, bemused by this. 

Seamus shrugged. "I don't think he was expecting to croak when he did. Until I left Hogwarts the company was looked after by various executives. As soon as I could I took over everything at Nimbus." 

"But why all the secrecy?" This was the part that Ginny was most confused about. After all, the Nimbus Corporation was only a research facility, wasn't it? 

Frowning, Seamus tried to put into words why the company was shrouded in secrecy. "Some of our experiments could be called a little... _controversial_. We test things that people would otherwise like to forget about." 

"Like what?" 

"Our main project at the moment is a cure for lycanthropy," Seamus told her calmly. Most people, when told about this, would become shocked and almost distraught at the prospect - werewolves were not people whom one should associate with. The very thought of being near these... monsters, was distressing for some people. 

Ginny merely blinked. "Why's that so secretive?" 

Seamus was astounded. "You're not worried?" 

"I know several werewolves," Ginny explained. "I'm not opposed to curing them. It's not even their fault half the time. What else do you do?" 

"All sorts of things. Our divination department is always working non-stop - I'm never too sure what goes on in there, though. They're all dotty!" Seamus smiled slightly. "We have a team of twelve necromancers..." 

Ginny pulled a face. "As in... _necromancy_?" 

"Like I said, some of the things we do are a little controversial," said Seamus with a shrug. 

***

"Oh, are you going out today, Hermione?" asked Lavender. She was at the Cottage, Hogwarts currently being on their Christmas break. She was in the kitchen with the others when Hermione arrived. Harry looked up from his Quidditch bag, which he was putting his black and white robes into. 

"Yeah," replied Hermione, smoothing down her skirt. "Do I look all right?" Hermione was wearing a plum-coloured roll-knew jumper, and a straight black skirt which fell just below her knees. She also wore her favourite pair of knee-length black boots and a long black coat. A long, cream scarf hung around her neck. 

"Where are you going?" asked Harry, the concern evident in his voice. 

Hermione sighed. Since her pregnancy had been discovered two weeks previously harry had become unbearably overprotective. "To watch the Quidditch match," she explained. 

"But I didn't get you tickets," Harry reminded her, as she summoned her bag with her wand. 

"I know," she told him, placing her wand in her bag. "But I don't like sitting in the top box anyway - no-one cares about Quidditch up there. It's all about politics." 

"Since when have you liked Quidditch?" teased Ron with an impish grin. 

Hermione narrowed her eyes and playfully threw a nearby tea towel at him. It landed on his head, covering his face. Unfortunately for Ron, it was also extremely damp. "I'm going with Parvati - she managed to get a couple of tickets for us in the east stands." 

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Harry. 

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid." Hermione placed her hands on her hips and stared at Harry. "I'm a perfectly capable Witch, Harry. There's no reason for you to worry." 

"You're my wife, of course I'm going to worry!" 

"I'd love to stand and fight all day, Harry, but I have to meet Parvati: we're going for a coffee before the match." Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Hermione walked up to Harry and placed a kiss on his lips. She smiled broadly and added, "Good luck, today - I'll be cheering for you." Hermione Disapparated with a 'pop', leaving Harry standing there, the rest of the house mates staring at him. 

"I still don't think her going to the Quidditch match is a good idea," he said to them. 

"Since when has what you thought stopped Hermione?" asked Ginny grinning. "She'll be fine - Parvati'll beat up anyone who tries to upset her." She put down her cup of coffee and winced, looking at the clock on the kitchen wall. "I've gotta run - things to see, people to do!" Ignoring the un-amused expression on both Ron and Seamus's faces, Ginny Disapparated. 

"I'd better get going too," said Seamus, standing up while folding up his copy of the Daily Prophet. "Only a couple of days until we close up for Christmas. Good luck at the Quidditch, Harry." Harry nodded and Seamus Disapparated, leaving only Harry, Ron and Lavender in the kitchen. 

Harry checked that all his robes and pads were in his bag before zipping it up. He slung it roughly over his shoulder, and picked up his broomstick. While he still preferred to use his Firebolt, Harry was increasingly using his Firebolt Infinity in league matches, not just international matches. "Duty calls," he said sullenly. 

"You'll be find, Harry," Ron told him warmly. 

"Wood is the Captain of the other team, though - he knows all my moves!" Harry moaned. That was probably the worst thing about having your old Quidditch captain on the opposing team. 

"Well, you'll just have to think of some new ones," said Lavender. "Now get going - you want to win the Cup, don't you?" 

Harry nodded, and Disapparated with a 'pop'. 

"Looks like we're all alone, Mr Weasley," said Lavender, moving to sit on Ron's lap. "What are we going to do with ourselves?" 

"I don't know," said Ron with a grin. "Though I have some ideas," he kissed her gently, and smiled at her. 

"These ideas sound quite good. How about we go over a few of them?" suggested Lavender. 

"Fine by me," agreed Ron, confirming this with another, more heated kiss. 

***

At the Quidditch grounds, Hermione and Parvati found themselves sat next to a hyperactive-looking blonde witch, who was just a little too enthusiastic for Hermione taste. She was probably a couple of years older than Hermione and Parvati. "This is really exciting!" she grinned. "Have you ever been to a Quidditch match before?" 

"A few," said Hermione, not quite sure what to make of her. 

"I've been to loads!" she told them happily. 

As Hermione and Parvati politely listened, the woman proceeded to list all the Quidditch matches she had been to over the last five years and which were her favourites. 

"Do you want me to get you a drink?" Parvati asked Hermione. Hermione nodded, and Parvati quickly departed. Hermione scowled, realising that Parvati had only offered to get them drinks so she could escape the woman's incessant chatter. 

"It's my ambition to meet Harry Potter," the woman told Hermione happily, showing Hermione the match programme where there was a picture of Harry smiling for the camera. Hermione recognised it as a picture she had taken about six months previously. "I've met almost every other player in the league." 

"That's nice," said Hermione blandly. 

"Have you ever met any Quidditch players?" 

Hermione smiled. "A few," she informed her. 

"Oh, that's nice. How?" 

"Through work," Hermione said, reading her programme. It wasn't even worth making eye contact with the woman any more. "I'm a photographer." 

"Have you ever met Harry Potter?" 

Hermione nodded, and it was at this moment Parvati arrived back with two drinks, one for herself and one for Hermione. She evidently heard the woman's last question. 

"Of course she has!" Parvati exclaimed. "She married him!" 

Smiling almost smugly, Hermione turned to the woman, holding out her hand. "Did I forget to introduce myself? Hermione Potter." 

The woman's face blanched. Shaking, she shook Hermione's hand. "Enid Lettager," she managed to say. 

Needless to say, she didn't talk much after that. 

***

_**A/N:** Thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter. The next chapter will probably be out in about a week, depending on how much I write - I also have several other fics I'm working on. (P.S. Not that it really matters, but I've now been writing fanfiction for just over a year! Yay!)_

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Twelve:_   
The All Red Chameleon - I'm working on the chapters thing. Cliffies just seem to come naturally to me, though! As for reading my other fics - that's great; it's nice to know people like my other fics.   
Yzoh Esereth - Alexander is a name I have considered, but I think I have one picked out. I'm not telling what it is, though!   
Misty Wildfire - no, I don't think anyone else could say that in a non-sarcastic way!   
Emili Potter - Thanx!   
Sonata - The name is still under debate - I have some pretty good ideas, though.   
anastacy - Thanx!   
Godzilla - I feel honoured! :)   
ms. potter - No. It will not be twins. That is used waaaaay too much (has anyone else noticed that if they DO hve twins, they're usually a boy and girl called Lily and James? Yuck).   
bookworm4ever - Thanx!   
Heaven - Ginny's life is never going to be simple. Plus, I don't like her all that much.   
babooshka - Thanks for the other names suggestions.   
Kaitzee - Thank you! I'm glad you like my other fics! Quote of the day: The theory used to be you marry an older man because they are more mature. The new theory is that men don't mature. So you might as well marry a younger one.   
hermione - Thanx!   
Geneathen - I hadn't thought about the labour until you mentioned it. Hmm... a good idea - but Ron and Lavender aren't engaged... yet.   
aaliyah-potter - You're 13? Well, that makes me feel better. I'm 15 so I guess I have a good few years ahead of me yet! :)   
sugar-n-spice - The idea for that just jumped out at me!   
Arwen Potter - Calm down! They will make it, don't worry - I couldn't do that twice in a story! :)   
E. C. R. Potter - Thanx!   
Oliverwoodschic - Right. I'll try and get some Dean/Parvati into a future chapter. 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Sorry this chapter took so long for me to get out, but it's here now! Be happy and read on..._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Fourteen**

*** 

  
  


Harry needn't have worried about Oliver knowing all of his moves and telling them to the rest of his team - Oliver was knocked out by a Bludger in the first three minutes. Of course, when the opposing team didn't have a Keeper it was incredibly easy for the Chasers from the Montrose Magpies to score. 

Padma Patil, who was on the opposing team did manage to score a fair few goals - when her team managed to get the Quaffle. 

It was slightly misty, meaning the Golden Snitch was just a bit harder to find. Harry wasn't the youngest Seeker at Hogwarts in a century for nothing though. Watching him as he caught the Snitch fifty-seven minutes into the game, Hermione came to the conclusion that Seeker wasn't a position you could become - it was something that you could just _do_, a sort of innate ability some people are just born with. 

Hermione and Parvati practically screamed themselves hoarse during the match, both cheering for different teams, and afterwards they followed the crowds out of the grounds. Being close relatives they managed to get inside where most people did not. As Harry emerged from the men's changing rooms, Hermione ambushed him, pulling him in for a kiss. 

Harry was surprised at first, not realising what was happening, but when he realised it was Hermione he relax and melted into the kiss. "What was that for?" he asked when she pulled back. 

"Just for being you," Hermione replied with a smile. "That was a good match today. We were both cheering for you." 

"I thought Parvati would have been cheering for Padma's team?" 

Hermione sighed. "Not, Parvati." It took a second for Harry to comprehend what she meant by this, but the he grinned. 

"And how do you know she was cheering for me?" 

"What makes you think it's a she? I get the feeling its going to be a boy." 

"You do?" Harry placed a hand on Hermione stomach which was still relatively flat and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Nah, I reckon it's a girl." 

"Well if she looks like you I don't mind," Hermione told him, kissing his cheek lately, ignoring the other players who were starting to emerge from the changing room and were staring at them for a moment before continuing on their way. 

"If the baby looks like me I feel sorry for it. It'll have an eternal bad-hair day!" Harry said with a grin. 

"I like your hair!" protested Hermione defensively. "That's what makes you _you_. That and your gorgeous eyes." 

"Hermione, stop complimenting the lad - his ego's big enough as it is!" 

Turning around, Hermione was face to face, or rather, face to shoulder with Oliver Wood who was sporting a large bruise on the side of his face, evidently where the Bludger had hit him. It also looked as if he had broken his jaw and it had been repaired by magic. 

"What are you doing here, Oliver? I thought you left a few minutes ago?" asked Harry, slightly confused. 

Oliver winced. "I did. But I thought I'd warn you. Apparently news has got to the press that Hermione's pregnant and the press is waiting for the two of you outside." 

Hermione turned to Harry, biting her lip. "How did they find out?" she asked. 

"So it's true?" Oliver sounded surprised. 

Hermione looked at Oliver. "Yes. Where did you say the press are?" 

"Players entrance," he said. "Why?" 

"We'll leave through the front entrance, then," said Hermione with a sigh. 

"Why?" asked Harry. 

"Will you trust me on this? I stalk people for a living, in a legal way, that is, and so I know what I'm talking about." Harry had to agree with Hermione there. She had been in the profession for quite a short amount of time compared to most photojournalists, but she knew all the tricks of the trade. 

"They go," said Harry. 

"Thanks, Oliver!" called Hermione over her shoulder as Harry led her by the arm to the front entrance to the Quidditch stadium. As she had expected, there weren't any journalists waiting for them there, and only a few members of the public were still milling around, though Harry knew from experience there were probably more around by the players entrance, waiting for the players to come out and hopefully get their autographs. 

They Apparated back to the Cottage and as Harry prepared a cup of coffee for the two of them, he asked, "So how do you think they found out?" 

Hermione, who had been collecting a bucket of water and set it down by the side of the table, said, "A multitude of ways. Someone who saw me at the doctors the other day, a friend even someone in this house. Someone could have just made a random guess, of course. I couldn't tell you." 

"What's the water for?" asked Harry, nodding in the direction of the luminous yellow bucket as he set the coffee's down. Hermione took hers and sipped it gently. 

"Give it a couple of minutes and you'll see," she told him. 

She was right. Just a few minutes later the Howlers began to arrive, which Hermione immediately put in the water. Harry however picked one up before she could get to it. The woman who had sent it was obviously a very big fan of Harry's and ranted at Hermione non-stop for ten minutes about how she was using Harry for his body and that she would probably divorce him once she's had the baby so she could get Harry's money. This sent Hermione into hysterical laughter, especially when the woman went on to tell Harry her address in case he wanted to contact her. 

The Howlers stopped arriving after about half and hour, but Hermione kept the bucket by the side of the table, telling Harry that there were bound to be more in the morning - after all, the news probably hadn't reached Australia or America yet. 

***

"Ron, no offence or anything, but it's a bit too early for you to be buying them things for the baby," Lavender said, placing a hand on her boyfriends shoulder. Ron was looking in the window of a baby shop in Diagon Alley, excitedly pointing out things he thought Harry and Hermione would like. 

"But they're the first of our friends to have children," Ron told her. "This is kind of important to me. Anyway, it's almost Christmas!" 

Lavender looked at Ron in shock. "You mean you still haven't bought your Christmas presents for everyone yet?" Normally Ron would have ignored Lavenders amazement, but the fact that it was already December the 21st weighed heavy on his mind. 

"Don't be mad," Ron pleaded, "but I've been kind of busy. There's been a lot of trouble at the British Embassy in Sydney." Although it was not the Muggle capital of Australia, Sydney was the main Wizarding city. 

With a sigh, Lavender pulled Ron away from the window. "Come on, there's been enough press speculation about the two of them the last few days. We don't want to add to it." 

"People might think that we're shopping for ourselves," pointed out Ron as she led him into Flourish and Blotts. 

"And why would that be?" 

Ron grinned. "Us Weasley's are known for being rather virile." 

"Well, there's an exception to every rule," teased Lavender, leaving Ron temporarily so she could go and check the some books for her Divination class at Hogwarts had come in. 

Ron scowled at her retreating back, and started to browse through the bookshelves as he had heard there was a new Chudley Cannons book out. The book was easy enough to spot, as its cover was the bright, trademark Chudley Cannon orange. 

As he walked slowly back to the counter to pay for his book, Ron spotter something that made him smile. "Looks like some things never change, eh?" he asked loudly. The couple who had been kissing behind one of the densely-packed bookcases broke apart blushing. 

Parvati hit Ron's arm playfully. "Ron Weasley!" she exclaimed. "Don't sneak up on us like that!" 

"It's not like it hasn't happened before, though," said Dean Thomas, who was looking embarrassed to say the least. Dean and Parvati had been notorious at Hogwarts for having their snogging sessions in the Hogwarts Library hidden by the books. Ron and Lavender had accidentally stumbled upon them several times when they were trying to find somewhere to... well, do pretty much the same thing. 

"Where's Lav?" asked Parvati. 

"Getting some Divination books, I guess," Ron told her with a shrug. "Why?" 

"I wanted to check with her about the New Years Eve arrangements. We are coming to the Cottage, right?" Parvati asked. 

December 31st 1999. Ron had almost forgotten about it in his rush to buy Christmas presents. "Yeah, I think so. But check with Hermione. She's organising the whole thing." 

Parvati nodded. "It was, uh, nice seeing you again, Ron, but we have to go. Dean still has to buy presents for everyone. Including me," she added, jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow. They left quickly, Parvati apparently nagging Dean about something as soon as they were out of earshot. 

Lavender rejoined Ron a minute or so later, struggling with two large bags, both full of books. "How many books can they write about Divination?" Ron asked in amazement. 

"Divination?" asked Lavender. "Only one of the bags is Divination. The other is your Christmas present for Hermione." Ron smiled gratefully. 

"You're a saviour," he told her, obviously relieved. 

"Don't I know it," Lavender said, leading the way out of the book shop and into Diagon Alley which was packed with Witches and Wizards all doing last minute Christmas shopping. 

***

_**A/N:** I managed to get a little bit of Dean/Parvati into that chapter. Not much, but it's a start. Next chapter will be Christmas Day and New Years Eve. If you would like an email when I post the next chapter, please say in a review. Also, I think Oliver Wood needs a bit of romance in this fic - does anyone have any ideas who his girlfriend should be? I have a couple of ideas, but some suggestions would be helpful._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Thirteen:_   
Invisblegrl - I know, but I try and do this fic as fast as I can. I was planning to write more over the half-term I'm on now (seven more weeks of school left, yuck!), but what with the Queen's Jubilee and all I haven't had time.   
Yzoh Esereth - I'm trying to upload as fast as I can.   
ChastityRose - Thanx!   
Alicia Renee - Well, Hermione has a loot to be smug about. If you were married to the most famous |Wizard in the world, you'd probably be smug too.   
Gryffindor Quidditch Angel - Thanx, and I _am_ trying to write more on _Age of Apocalypse_. I've almost got the next chapter done.   
ms. potter - It's nice to see someone else agrees with the twin thing. Anyway, I've already chosen the baby's name - but I'm keeping it a secret.   
HarryNZ - Thanx!   
scifisarah - I'm writing as fast as I can!   
QteeEagle - Hopefully you'l like this chapter as much as the last one. Sorry it took so long.   
Emili Potter - I'm trying to update as fast as I can! Amazingly I do have a life outside of fanfiction...   
Heaven - I'll have to read your fic sometime. I really should start a Ginny-bashing website. lol. :D   
bookworm4ever - Thanx!   
Usotsuki - I might have Enid pop up a bit more in the future, she's fun to write!   
SilverTears13 - Thanx, I'm really glad you're enjoying the series - I'm enjoying writing them!   
aaliyah-potter - I'm going to try and have more Ron and Lavender stuff dfor them. One of the furture chapters is going to revolve around them and their relationship.   
Hermione Potter - I'm going to try and find an excuse to write more about Draco. Maybe with him in leather. :D   
Oliverwoodschic - Thanx!   
Kaitzee - I hate viruses. I hope this chapter was as good as the last one. Quote: If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.   
Sonata - Sorry to disappoint you, but I have now chosen the name for the baby. I'm not going to tell you what it is, though or the gender as I want it to be a surprise. 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Chapter Fifteen is finally here! Please review._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Fifteen**

*** 

  
  


Harry was awoken from a peaceful sleep on Christmas morning by pillow making contact with his face. He sat bolt upright, rummaging around for his glasses while squinting through the darkness to see who had attacked him. Placing the cold metal frames on his face, he saw Hermione kneeling on the bed beside him, grinning and clutching a pillow in her hands. 

"Are you going to sleep all day?" she asked. 

"What time is it?" Harry enquired, still not one hundred per cent awake. 

"Half past seven," Hermione informed him with a smile as she climbed off the bed and wrapped her dressing gown around her. She tied up the belt and looked at her husband expectantly. 

"What?" Harry asked, falling back on the pillows, forgetting what day it was. 

"Presents!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry sat up again, and in seconds he was racing Hermione out of the door and down to the normally vacant room, which they had dubbed the 'other' room. This was where they had set up their Christmas tree and were keeping the presents. To Harry's surprise, the other house mates were already up and waiting. By the smell of it, Ron had already started cooking a full English breakfast. 

A pile of discarded wrapping paper was building up on the floor, though knowing Hermione it probably wouldn't be there for long. 

Seamus seemed to have been designated the 'present-passer-outer' and barely a minute after stepping into the room, Harry had been given an armful of presents. 

Lavender seemed to be giggling about something with Ron, though Harry suspected this was something to do with the lacy lingerie that was in a pile at her feet. 

Harry settled himself down next to Hermione in a large chair which she had conjured, and around half an hour later, Harry had a variety of presents surrounding him, including a book entitled 'How to be a Father'. This was, of course, a present from Sirius, who was having great delight in taunting Harry and Hermione about their prospective parenthood. Sirius had also given Hermione a set of maternity robes, which hadn't amused Hermione very much. 

She had, however, been delighted with the books that Ron had given her and almost crushed him in a hug. It was her hormones playing up, apparently. 

"Is that all the presents?" Ginny asked after a while, when they had examined their new belongings. "'Cause I'm starving." 

"Yeah, get in the kitchen, Weasley," Seamus ordered. Ron scowled at him and got to his feet, preparing to go into the kitchen and finish making breakfast. 

"Wait, I have one more," Harry announced. "I'll be right back." He sprinted out of the room and appeared a minute or so later with small box, wrapped in gold paper with a red ribbon. 

"It's for Hermione," he explained. Hermione looked confused, and Harry saw her eyes dart to the present which he had given her already, which was a Muggle laptop - something she had wanted for a while. 

"What is it?" she asked as he handed her the box, slipping back into the chair beside her. He gave her a look, urging her to open it. She carefully took off the wrapping, leaving it in one piece. After all, this _was_ Hermione. She looked into the box and cast Harry a puzzled glance. 

"It's a key," she told him. 

Harry nodded. "There's something else as well." 

Hermione looked in the box again, and pulled out what appeared to be a photograph. "And a picture. Of a..." she trailed off, her eyes glancing at Harry who grinned and nodded. 

"What is it?" asked Ginny impatiently. 

"I'm hungry," moaned Seamus. 

"Shut up!" snapped Ron. 

"Is this a joke, Harry?" Hermione asked. He shook his head vigorously, messing up his hair more, if that was possible. 

Hermione beamed at him. "It's ours?" 

"Will you just hurry up and tell us?" Lavender asked. 

Harry placed an arm around Hermione and looked at the others. "Um, I don't quite know how to put this, but, um, we're moving out." 

***

"Are you okay, Ron? Not upset about me and Hermione moving out, are you?" Harry asked Ron who was busy preparing some vegetables for their Christmas lunch. The goose they had decided on was already roasting in the oven. 

Ron grinned at his best friend. "Nah - that means me and Lavender can have a bigger bedroom!" 

Harry rolled his eyes. "You really should get your mind out of the gutter more," he told him. "Speaking of Lavender, do you remember that conversation we had a while back?" 

"Which conversation?" asked Ron, wiping his hands on the colourful apron he was wearing, which had the words 'Kiss me quick, squeeze me slowly' emblazoned across the front of it. Harry had the feeling that this was Ron's Christmas present from Seamus. 

"The one where you said you were thinking about proposing to her at Christmas?" 

Ron stopped what he was doing and stared at Harry. "Not happening," he said after a moment before continuing to peel some potatoes. 

Harry was a little shocked. "Why not?" 

"It came up in a conversation the other day, and I got the feeling that she wasn't interested." 

"But you're still going to ask her, right?" 

The redhead shrugged. "I suppose," he said. Then he added, "When the time is right." 

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked. Turning around, Harry noticed that she was standing in the doorway, a curious expression on her face. Harry also noticed that she had a hand on her back. 

"How long have you been listening?" he asked, as she walked into the kitchen. Harry pulled out a chair for her and she sat down, smiling gratefully. 

"Long enough," she said, shifting about in her chair, trying to get comfortable. She had been experiencing bad back pain for the last few days. 

"Eavesdropping isn't exactly polite," Ron grumped. Hermione shrugged. 

"I couldn't help it. I was coming into the kitchen for a drink and I heard you." 

"Heard him say what?" Lavender had appeared in the doorway, now fully dressed in a long charcoal grey skirt and a white blouse. Her hair was currently a dark brown, giving her complexion a paler look. This was enhanced by the dark red lipstick she wore. 

"Why does everyone keep coming in here?" Ron moaned. Until Harry's arrival it had been rather quiet and peaceful in the kitchen. 

"Do you need any help, Ron?" Ginny inquired, coming in from the garden. Her face was flushed from the cold weather and she was shivering slightly. 

"Right!" Ron yelled. "Everybody out! I am trying to cook!" 

Stunned by Ron's sudden reaction, every left the kitchen as quickly as possible and headed into the other room where Seamus was adding some finishing touches to the Christmas tree. 

"That's why you should never upset a redhead," Seamus commented as they all took seats. 

Ginny scowled at her boyfriend as Harry summoned a bottle of champagne. A couple of seconds later a tray of glasses flew into the room as well. "I propose a toast," he said, pouring out the champagne, and passing the glasses around. "To friendship." 

He grinned around at them and they echoed his words. "And to love," added Ginny. Once again, they lifted their glasses repeating her words. 

"And to getting absolutely sloshed on expensive bubbly!" Seamus said. 

"I'll drink to that," said Hermione. 

"Are you sure you should be drinking?" asked Lavender. 

Hermione sighed. "It's only one glass. Trust me, Lav, I've done all the research." 

"Now there's a surprise," muttered Seamus, causing Ginny to hit him with her free arm. 

***

Stood outside the bedroom door, Draco Malfoy tapped his foot impatiently. Why on Earth was Padma taking so long? "Are you nearly ready?" he called. 

His fiancée's muffle reply came back. "Yes, I'm just finishing my hair!" 

She appeared a few minutes later. "Right, I'm ready," she announced. 

"Are you sure?" Draco asked with a smirk. 

"I've spent the last two hours getting ready for this party," Padma informed him. 

Draco smiled at her. "Are you sure it was long enough?" 

"Of course," she snapped. "And stop grinning at me like that, Draco. Do I have something on my dress?" 

"I don't know. Why don't you put it on so I can see?" 

Padma looked confused, but a quick glance at herself told her that she was still in her underwear. She scowled at Draco, and stormed back into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her and muttering something under her breath. Draco took this opportunity to check out his reflection in the full length mirror that hung in the hallway." 

"You look dashing, dearie," the mirror told him, and Draco smiled slightly. He straightened his tie and made sure that his hair was behaving itself. The party at the Cottage had a formal theme, which mean tuxedos for the men, and evening dresses for the women. 

After a couple of minutes, Padma re-emerged, and stood there, waiting for Draco's approval. She was wearing an evening dress in a dark teal colour, which matched Draco's cummerbund. It had a plunging neckline and she was a silver necklace with a pearl hanging from it. 

"How do I look?" she asked nervously. 

"Stunning," Draco told her. He kissed her gently and smile reassuringly. He then held out his arm to her, and she took it, still looking slightly apprehensive. "Shall we?" 

Padma nodded and replied, "We shall." With a couple of 'pop's' they Disapparated. 

***

If the party that had been held at the Cottage before was good, then this New Year's Eve party was amazing. Amazing probably didn't even cover it. You could turn one way or the other without spotting a Quidditch star, or an author (Ginny had become friends with several other writers apart from Eva) or some other celebrity. Milling around somewhere was even the Australian Minster of Magic, who, barely six months before, had conducted the marriage of Harry and Hermione. 

Hermione was enjoying playing the hostess. Wearing a black dress which sparkled in the fairy lights (real fairies were buzzing around near the ceiling), she was wandering around talking to various people. She had pretty much come to terms that this was probably the last chance she'd have to go to a party before her stomach started to reveal her condition. 

Harry had been quite surprised to see Oliver Wood with a girlfriend at the party. Oliver had been single for as long as Harry could remember and there were even rumours every now and again that Oliver was... 'playing for the other team' as the tabloids liked to put it. What was it with Wizarding tabloids and bad puns? 

The girlfriend, who seemed to be attached to his arm and was smiling brightly, was just as surprising. 

"You looked lovely tonight, Trisha," commented Harry. "How are you?" 

"Wrong question, Harry. You don't want to know how I am, you want to know how long we've been dating." Trisha McLean, one of the England Chasers, grinned at him, then looked up at Oliver. She looked quite short next to Oliver who was just over six feet tall, even though she was actually five foot seven. 

"Sorry, it's just a little surprising," Harry admitted. "So... how long?" 

"A couple of months," Oliver said, grinning sheepishly. 

Harry was amazed by this. "How exactly did you keep that a secret from the press?" 

Oliver wouldn't say, but instead asked, "Are they still hounding you and Hermione?" 

Nodding, Harry replied, "We'll probably have to make an announcement soon, though. I don't want Hermione getting stressed." 

"Is me being stressed a bad thing?" Hermione asked cheekily, standing beside Harry. Harry wrapped an arm around her, almost by instinct rather than anything else, and she leaned on him, still holding a champagne flute which was full of orange juice. Actually, it could have been pumpkin juice but in the room's lighting Harry couldn't tell. 

There was a loud crash and a the tinkling of broken glass from the next room. The hum of chatter stopped briefly, followed by laughter before people went back to their conversations. 

Hermione frowned. "I'd better go and see what that was," she explained and darted off to see what the commotion was. It turned out that Ginny and Seamus had been having a premature New year's kiss and it had become rather heated. Subsequently, a rather tasteless vase given to Lavender by her grandmother ended up in pieces. 

Rather than be upset with them, Lavender actually thanked them, and encouraged to kiss around more of the tacky presents she had been given by relatives. Ron hadn't looked too pleased about Lavender's suggestion that Ginny and Seamus kiss more, but Lavender had, quite sensibly, ignored him. 

"You really shouldn't encourage them," Ron warned her when they were alone in the kitchen. As per usual, Ron had been put in charge of the food. 

"Why not?" asked Lavender, placing her hands on her hips and staring at her boyfriend. 

"Because she's my little sister, that's why," Ron replied. 

Lavender's expression softened. "She's not a little girl any more," she reminded him. "She's woman, a very feisty woman with a mind of her own and who is very much in love." 

Ron frowned. "Is it wrong for me not to want her to grow up?" he asked. "To me she's still the little four year old who gave Bogey to Fred for Bludger practise." He finished arranging the food on the tray and turned to Lavender. "She's younger than me - if she grows up the that means I have to grow up, too." 

Smiling, Lavender placed a soft kiss on Ron's cheek. "We all have to grow up sometime, Peter Pan." 

"Who?" 

Lavender said nothing, but ushered him out of the kitchen so he could distribute the food. For a moment she lingered in the kitchen, one of the only quiet places in the Cottage, thinking solely about Ron. And their future. 

She was snapped out of her daydream when Parvati came into the kitchen looking for her, and dragged her away to talk to someone. 

Midnight was met with a cheer that could probably have been heard several miles away. Added to this, the ever-mischevious Weasley twins had snuck some of their ultra-loud party poppers into the party, and a few of the guests lost their hearing for a couple of minutes when they let them off. 

After the traditional rendition of Auld Lang Syne, someone yelled, possibly one of the twins or Nathan Huxley (one of the England Beaters), "Speech!" 

The guests all turned to Harry and Hermione who were trying to get in a belated midnight kiss. Blushing slightly, Harry cleared his throat. He cast a quick look at Hermione who gave him a slight nod. Harry smiled and began to talk. 

"Uh, well, I guess the year 2000 is finally here," he was interrupted by a cheer from a couple of guests who had evidently had too much to drink. "I'm not really sure what I should be saying, so I'm going to take this opportunity to wish everyone good luck in the year ahead. I hope the Quidditch season is as prosperous as ever..." 

"Go Cannons!" There was a slight chuckle at Ron's interruption, especially from Christopher Hedbury, the other England Beater, who also played for the Chudley Cannons. 

"I think you mean Magpies," Harry said with a grin. 

A cry of "Go Arrows!" rose from Oliver and Padma, whereas Trisha McLean let out a cheer for the Holyhead Harpies and Ed Leigh, the England Captain yelled a Puddlemere United chant. 

When everyone had quietened down so Harry could continue, Nathan Huxley shouted, "Wasps for the Cup!" starting a ripple of laughter. 

"Er... yeah," said Harry, looking slightly uneasy. "Anyway, I also hope that we have the authors of some of the next years best sellers and I wish everyone the best in general. I have a feeling that this year will be full of love, marriage... and children." 

A slight muttering broke out among the guests. Harry heard Ron, or possibly Seamus, tap on the side of a glass to get silence. Harry felt Hermione, who was stood next to him, grip his hand tightly. "As none of you have been living in caves for the last few weeks, I'm sure you've heard the rumours about myself and Hermione. We'd like to confirm what the press is saying; yes, we are expecting a baby. Baby Potter should be joining us in late July." 

By now Hermione was blushing a bright red, and Harry was beginning to lose the feeling in his hand. 

The reaction was tremendous; the cheering was almost as loud as when midnight had struck. Excited chatter broke out among the guests, and people started to coming forward to shake Harry's hand and congratulate Hermione. Harry grinned as he shook someone's hand (he wasn't really paying much attention) - this was certainly going to be an interesting year. 

***

_**A/N:** Obviously I would have got this chapter posted sooner, but with ff.net being down, I haven't had a chance. I apologise for the long gap between this and the last chapter. Luckily I have only a few more weeks until my school breaks up for summer, so I'll have more time for writing then._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Fourteen:_   
Dark Moon - Thanx! I'll try to update ASAP.   
SilverTears13 - I have big plans for Ron and Lavender coming up. Probably in the next chapter or the one after that.   
Katie - Sorry you had to wait so long!   
Strawberry Dream - Sorry to disappoint you, but if the bab is a boy (and I'm not saying what it is yet), then it won't be called James. That's a bit cliched for my liking.   
SpoiledGurl2687 - I never thought of Cho! Oh well... I'll find a way to write her into the story.   
Viwiel - Thanx!   
ms. potter - Again, sorry that you've had to wait so long for this chapter.   
E. C. R. Potter - Thanx. Now I have to get round to updatin all my other fics... *sigh*   
Usotsuki - lol. Yes, that _would_ be funny!   
babooshka - The baby won't be arriving for a few more chapters.   
Hikari47 - I agree with you there! :)   
Emili Potter - Thanx!   
Nighttime Sunshine - Thank you. Reviews like yours are very much appreiciated and so much better than one-liners! I realise that my proofreading leaves a lot to be desired, but even IRL I tend to make tiny little mistakes like I do in my fics.   
bookworm4ever - Thanx!   
Heaven - I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as possible.   
sugar-n-spice - Well, they _are_ famous so I suppose they probably will get ambushed again...   
Invisblegrl - Yes, I know. It's usually because I'm in a rush. Luckily I wrote this chapter about a week ago so when I read it again just now I spotted quite a few mistakes. My kingdom for a beta reader! :D Gryffindor Quidditch Angel - I think the next chapter of AoA should be out soon - probably in the next couple of weeks.   
Hannah Abby - After all this time you should have caught up with all the chapters! :D   
Sonata - I hope you didn't think I'd fallen off the face of the planet again! 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, nothing I tell you! All the characters, places etc. belong to JKR.   
**A/N:** Chapter Sixteen is finally here. I hope you all haven't forgotten about me! :) On with the story..._

*** 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Sixteen**

*** 

  
  


It was truly amazing how much 'stuff' one could acquire over the space of a couple of years, Hermione decided. Packing up all her books alone had taken several hours, and there was also all of Harry's belongings to consider as well. 

Avalon Cottage was quite a lot smaller than the Cottage, though this was understandable, after all - there were only going to be the two of them (for a few more months, at least) rather than the six of them. It was a Wizarding cottage, and a few miles outside of a small town in north Wales. 

The town was a fairly typical Welsh town, and was on the border of two counties which marked the division between Mid and North Wales. The pretty stone cottages seemed to follow the contours of the valley and it was one of those places people went to 'get away from it all'. 

There were four bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, large bathroom, dining room and even a study as well as several small rooms, which they were planning on expanding magically. Like the Cottage, the place looked smaller on the outside than it was on the inside. 

Harry seemed to have invested a lot of money into the house for them, as it was already furnished. When Hermione had asked him about this, he had become rather secretive, just telling her that it was for their future, and the future of their family. 

To Hermione, it seemed that Harry was becoming almost obsessive about the baby. Maybe it was the fact that he had never had a real family, well, not one that he could remember at any rate. Either way, it was beginning to get annoying. 

The study was a large and spacious room which, around midday, filled with a sort of glorious light that illuminated the bookcases. At the same time there was a sort of inherent atmosphere in the room that reminded Hermione strongly of the Hogwarts Library. 

Carefully arranging her books (this was a perfect opportunity to sort them out), Hermione couldn't help but think about the times she had barricaded herself in the library when she had problems with Harry. Or Ron for that matter. 

Before Ron and Lavender had set her up with Harry (or at least tried), Hermione had sworn to herself that she wouldn't fall for one of her best friends again. Her relationship with Ron had lasted around six months. While Parvati was off snogging Dean Thomas in one of the empty classrooms and Seamus off with his girlfriend, Harry had become closer to Lavender. The two had eventually dated. 

Ron had broken up with her (and Lavender with Harry), both believing that Hermione and Harry were cheating on them with each other. This had not been true, but these break-ups had spurned a long-lasting relationship between Ron and Lavender. 

Hermione had been angry at first with Ron and Lavender for trying to set her up with Harry, but now she was glad and her friend's persistence had turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to her, as the swelling of her stomach testified. 

Placing 'Mandrakes: How to Handle Them Without Dying' onto the shelf, she heard a click as the door opened slowly. Harry timidly around the door. "Is it all right to come in?" he asked cautiously. Earlier when he had interrupted her, she had snapped at him and hit him with the jellylegs curse. Definitely _not_ a pleasant experience. 

She nodded feeling rather guilty, and Harry walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. He sat beside her and placed a kiss on her cheek. "How are you both feeling?" he asked gently, moving a hand onto her stomach. 

"I think he's hungry," Hermione admitted. "I, on the other hand, need a kiss." 

"Well I think I can arrange that," Harry replied, pressing his lips firmly to hers. No matter how many times he kissed her, it always felt like the first time, so fresh and new - one of the best experiences in the world. Pulling back, he smiled at his wife. "And what would _she_ like to eat?" 

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at that. It had become an ongoing debate as to whether the baby was a boy or a girl. Harry insisted it was a girl whereas Hermione was adamant that it was a boy. 

"A very buttery piece of toast," she told him with a grin. She brushed down her robes (it was amazing how much dust the books could collect) and placed a book in the only available space on the shelf. 

Following Harry out to the kitchen, she stopped him just outside of the door. "I think someone's in there," she whispered. They listened - she was right; two voices could be heard in conversation, though not clearly enough for them to be able to distinguish who they belonged to. 

Harry pulled out his wand, and striking a very 'Mission Impossible' stance, he pushed the door open, pointing his wand threateningly at the first person he saw. 

Sirius dropped the teapot in surprise. "Blimey, Harry. What's that for?" he asked. 

Harry almost dropped his wand as well. "We thought you were intruders!" he protested. There was something odd about the way Sirius looked, but Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it. His hair was shorter than normal and he was more clean-shaven than Harry had ever seen him. Then it clicked; he was wearing a Muggle suit, something that Sirius never did. It looked to be an expensive suit as well. 

"Not that it's not nice to see you, Sirius, but what are you doing here?" asked Hermione. 

"Ah, well, I wanted to come and see your new house," Sirius said, pulling out his wand and fixing the teapot (it's spout had fallen off). "And bring you a present from Dumbledore." He pointed at a large square object that was propped up on the kitchen table, covered by a dust sheet. 

Curiously, Harry pulled it off to reveal a painting of himself and Hermione. More accurately, it was a painting of himself and Hermione at Hogwarts; the picture that had been painted when they had been named Head Boy and Head Girl. It was a tradition at Hogwarts for a portrait of the Head students to be painted every year. 

"Thank you," breathed Hermione, smiling at Sirius. "It's wonderful." Harry nodded in agreement. 

"I actually have another reason for coming here," said Sirius after a moments silence. He moved closer to the other person who had been in the kitchen with him, a woman who looked to be about Sirius's age. She had sandy blonde hair and blue-green eyes. She was dressed in a long, dark red skirt and a white blouse, and was smiling nervously. 

"This is my wife, Katrina." 

"Your what?" asked Harry, completely amazed by this. Hermione and Sirius ignored him. 

"It's very nice to meet you," Hermione said politely. "So how did you meet Sirius. Were you at Hogwarts together?" 

Katrina shook her head. "Actually, no. We met on holiday in Melbourne. I'm actually a Muggle." She turned to Sirius. "That's the correct term, isn't it?" Sirius nodded. 

"Oh. I suppose Sirius telling you about magic was a bit of a shock," said Harry. 

"Again, no. My daughter is a witch. She went to Hogwarts. I don't know if you knew her. Her name is Katie. She was in Gryffindor." 

"Katie Bell?" asked Hermione. 

"Oh, so you _did_ know her," said Katrina, looking slightly relieved. 

"I was on the Quidditch team with her," explained Harry. "I was Seeker." 

Katrina nodded. "It's a very small world, isn't it?" she said. 

"Extremely," agreed Harry. 

***

"Ronald Weasley, what have you done with my wand?" 

Lavender's panicked voice rang through the house. Lavender had spent the weekend at the Cottage and was just about to leave for Hogwarts. When she'd found her wand, that is. 

"Have you checked the bedroom?" 

"Of course!" Lavender yelled back to him. By the sound of it, Ron was in the kitchen. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. Her hair was currently a dark blonde colour - it had been a vivid pink, but Professor Dumbledore had insisted that she tone it down a bit. 

She made her way into the kitchen. Sure enough, Ron was busy making something in a very large cauldron. "Is that a potion or lunch?" she asked, peering into he cauldron which was full of a lumpy mixture. 

Ron gave her a scathing look. "Lunch," he told her after a moment. "But it's not finished yet. Are you staying for lunch?" 

"Only if I don't find my wand." She scanned the shelves. "Are you sure you haven't seen it?" 

"Have you checked your bags?" 

"Yes," she told him. Nevertheless, she went through her bag, just to prove him wrong. After a moment, she pulled out her wand, looking decidedly embarrassed. "Here it is," she said sheepishly. 

Ron grinned broady at her then turned back to his cooking. 

"I don't know how I'd cope without you," she told him, putting the wand in her pocket where she wouldn't lose it. 

"And I don't know how I'd cope without you," Ron said. He put a lid on his cauldron. "Why do you have to live at Hogwarts?" 

Lavender sighed. "We've been through this, Ron. It's not exactly convenient for me to commute between here and the school everyday." She paused. "We could always move to Hogsmeade." 

"What about the house?" Ron demanded. "We can't just leave here!" 

"You just don't want to leave Ginny and Seamus alone, do you?" Lavender asked. 

"That too," Ron agreed, albeit reluctantly. 

The clock in the kitchen struck twelve, long chimes. "I'd better go," said Lavender. "We've got a staff meeting at one." She kissed him gently. "I'll see you next weekend," she promised. 

"Bye, Lav," said Ron quietly as she collected her bags. She smiled broadly and Disapparated with a 'pop'. Ron frowned. This was the worst part of the week - the longest time before he would see Lavender again. 

***

Padma groaned - the lemonade was everywhere. Her and Draco's newly acquired cat had decided to jump onto the table where she was busy planning the wedding, knocking her drink everywhere. 

All of the magazines and the revised guest list were now covered in the sticky substance. After putting the black cat on the floor, she performed a spell to clean it up. However, all of the pieces of parchment now smelt strongly of lemonade. 

'Planning a wedding is harder than I thought,' decided Padma, looking at all the plans they had made so far. 

After much deliberation, a date for the wedding had finally been set: the 20th of May. Padma had already chosen her dress (dresses in a Muggle style were currently popular, and hers was no exception. It was a very plain off the shoulder dress in an off-white colour and a very small amount of embroidery around the bottom), and the bridesmaid dresses, which were very similar to her own, though in a deep red. 

Her bridesmaids were to be Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin. Hermione had declined her invitation as she would be seven months pregnant at the time. Parvati was to be her Maid of Honour. 

As much as Padma pressured him, Draco was yet to find a Best Man. She was insistent that he find one soon as robes would have to be made, etc. 

'I think Harry and Hermione had the right idea,' thought Padma, checking over the guest list. The list was... impressive. It read like the invitation list to one of Harry and Hermione's parties: a guide to who's who in the Wizarding world. There were Quidditch players, aristocrats, authors, actors, models (Draco had recently started doing some modelling) and various other celebrities and people they knew. 

The previous week they had managed to cut the list down to two hundred and fifty. Then Draco realised he had forgotten a whole branch of his family tree and they were now closer to four hundred. 

"How are things going?" asked Draco, who was standing in the doorway. 

"Fine," sighed Padma. She had to looked twice at him. "Are you wearing my Quidditch robes?" 

Draco grinned at her. "I thought they'd suit me better," he declared, modelling them for her. Her England robes were certainly a contrast against his pale complexion. 

"I think they look better on me," Padma told him, moving away from the table and standing in front of Draco. "I'd prefer it if you weren't wearing them." 

"And what would you rather have me wearing?" 

Padma grinned devilishly. "Well, you remember that photo shoot you did last week.." 

Draco _did_ remember, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise. It had been an advertisement for a famous Wizarding underwear company. "Your wish is my command," he said, pulling off the robes. 

***

"Wake up, gorgeous," Harry whispered. Hermione stirred and opened her eyes. "What time is it?" 

"Just after nine," Harry informed her. "The Daily Prophet have sent you an assignment." 

Hermione sat up. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?" she demanded. 

"Because it's only just come," Harry told her. At this she visibly relaxed. 

"Oh." She pulled on her dressing gown, which was hanging by the bed. "Did you read it?" she asked. 

Harry nodded, producing the letter which was written on a piece of heavy parchment. "You have to interview the new Muggle Liaison Officer at the Ministry. Apparently he's the youngest ever." 

Hermione almost the dropped the back skirt she had pulled out of the wardrobe. "What?" she managed to say. "The Muggle Liaison Officer." Harry nodded, confused by Hermione's shock. 

"What is it?" he asked, concerned. 'I wish she's tell me what the problem is,' Harry thought. 'I hate seeing her like this.' 

"Harry, do you know _who_ the Muggle Liaison Officer is?" she asked. Harry shook his head. He didn't really follow things at the Ministry of Magic unless they affected him. 

"Who?" 

"Justin Finch-Fletchley." 

For a moment, Harry wasn't quite sure about the significance of this, but then the penny dropped. Justin had been at Hogwarts with them, and had been a member of Hufflepuff house. He had had quite an infatuation with Hermione in their last couple of years at Hogwarts, to the extent that he tracked down her Muggle telephone number and repeatedly called her. 

There's _no way_ I can interview him," Hermione said, throwing the skirt onto the bed and rummaging around in the wardrobe for a blouse that would fit over her expanded stomach and wouldn't gape at the chest. 

"Hermione, he's not going to start hitting on you," Harry reassured her. "You're _married_, not to mention pregnant." 

Hermione gave him a scathing look. "He was still hitting on me just before we left Hogwarts. And I was with you!" Harry remembered that now she mentioned it. Hermione took a deep breath. "I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it," she decided. 

"That's the Gryffindor spirit," said Harry with a grin, although Hermione didn't look as determined as her words sounded. 

***

_**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed it! Please review - I enjoy your feedback._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Fifteen:_   
lust4luv - Here's the next chapter. I have to admit that I have no idea how many there will be! I'll just have to keep writing to find out, I suppose! :)   
EaRtHaNgEl831 - Thanx. I'm trying to update as sson as possible.   
McKenzie - Here's Chapter Sixteen!   
The All Red Chameleon - Thanks for telling me I hadn't updated my Yahoo! Group. I had no idea. I found out I hadn't even posted the first chapter of this fic! Eeep.   
rosie - Thanx, but this fic isn't over yet!   
SilverTears13 - I'm really starting to believe in coincidences. I was just thinking about that before I read your review. Well, Justin is mentioned in this chapter, and he'll be featured in the next (hopefully).   
Sonata - I think we're looking at another two or three chapters before Baby Potter makes their arrival.   
Blunder - Thanx!   
Oliverwoodschic - Because he's really nervous! Don't worry - I have the whole Ron/Lavender plot all worked out in my head.   
Kaitzee - Yes, I totally get your points. I was re-reading 'The Matchmakers' the other day, and I realise that I need to change back to that sort of style to get back in their heads. I'm trying, I really am! And, don't think I never take reviews siriusly. Uh, I mean _seriously_. I married Sirius off, though it's to an OC. Here's a quote for you: "Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution yet."   
Sara - Thank you so much. This series of fics seems to have taken over me!   
very happy - This fics not over yet! There's still a few more chapters to go (though I'm not sure how many!). 

_Review, Flame, Whatever. _

silverphoenix 


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Happily Ever After? - Chapter Seventeen 

**HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Seventeen**

When Hermione arrived at the Ministry building, camera at the ready, she was directed straight to Justin Finch-Fletchley's office. To her immense relief it was empty; according to his secretary he had just popped out for a minute. 

Taking this chance to gather her thoughts, Hermione began to set up, her back facing the door. A couple of minutes later, just as she was checking the light levels, there was a soft 'click' as the door was pushed open. 'Please don't be him, please don't be him,' Hermione found herself wishing. 

"Good morning, Hermione." It was him. Hermione would have recognised those clipped, home counties tones anywhere. 

"Good morning." Hermione's reply was stiff and forced. She turned around to face him, and couldn't help but notice the way his face dropped. 

"So you really _are_ pregnant." He was speechless. 

"Have you been living under a rock for the last month?" Hermione asked. After all, she was married to _Harry Potter_, who was undoubtedly one of the most famous Wizards in the world. 

"Well, I tend to avoid newspapers. Journalists tend to talk a load of rubbish and I..." He trailed off when he noticed the death-glare Hermione was sending in his direction, "...think I should shut up now." 

"Good idea," Hermione agreed. "Sit behind your desk - I think that'll be a good place to start." Looking slightly confused (as he had often done at Hogwarts), Justin obeyed, and Hermione picked up one of her cameras and began taking some pictures. 

"So... how is Harry?" 

'He's making small talk? He's acting like we've never met before.' When they had been at Hogwarts, Justin would have been bugging Hermione to go out with him "just once". Now, however, he was completely different. Almost... nervous. 

"He's fine. Still completely obsessive of me, but fine nonetheless. Tilt your chin to the left; I'm getting a shadow." There was an awkward silence broken only by the sound of the shutter on Hermione's camera. 

She lowered the camera after a minute, casting a confused look in his direction. "What's the matter?" she demanded. 

"N-nothing," he stammered. She continued to stare at him. He frowned, not meeting her eyes. "Well, I, just don't know how to act. I mean, things are so different from how they used to be. You're different." 

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Different? How?" she asked curiously. Justin took a deep breath, obviously bracing himself for a bad response to what he was going to say. 

"You're so... I don't know... commanding and straightforward. The old Hermione would have been talking to me non-stop about politics. I seem to remember the old Hermione wanting to be a lawyer. Now you're a _journalist_. I thought you despised journalists." 

_The old Hermione_. Ah. So that was it. "Is it a bad change?" she asked. 

"I'm not sure," came the reply. 

Later, when she was at home, Hermione reflected on that conversation. She supposed he was right. She had changed. She had wanted to be a lawyer. She had been working at a bookshop. And then it had happened. 

She spoke angrily at the ceiling, as though they could hear her. "Why did you have to go?" she demanded. "I needed you! I didn't even get to say goodbye." 

Feeling tears begin to form, Hermione stood angrily, and stormed into the living room. On the mantelpiece stood several photographs, but it was one in particular that she was looking at. 

Two people stared back at her, smiling and waving for their daughter. It was a Wizarding photograph of Hermione's parents that she had taken about a month before the accident. Angrily, she slammed it face down, not wishing to look at them. One owl had changed her life. A single owl telling her they had died had changed her. 

"Hermione?" Harry sounded anxious, worried about her. 

Hermione said nothing, her back to him. She slowly turned around, looking up at Harry with round eyes. "I miss them, Harry," she whispered, as he took her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head as she sobbed into his shoulder. 

***

"Have you found one yet?" Padma interrupted Draco's train of thought, which had been something alone the lines of 'jeans or shirts? Jeans or shirts?'. He was debating which advertising campaign to do next. After the underwear shoot (which, he had to admit to being reluctant to do), he had received many offers from companies who wanted him to advertise their products. 

He lowered his copy of the Daily Prophet and peered at her over the top of it. She was stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. She was wearing old clothes she used for Quidditch practise and her reading glasses were slightly askew on her nose. 

"Found a what?" 

She glared at him, obviously not happy about something. "A best man. The wedding is in exactly three months." She pointed at the calendar. Padma was right. It was the twentieth of February. 

Three moths. That was a lot closer than Draco had thought it was. He paled slightly. "Oh. Well, not yet. I mean..." 

"You mean you haven't been bothered to find anyone." Padma was furious. "I don't know why I even bother!" 

"Padma?" asked Draco uncertainly, but she wasn't paying him any heed. 

"You're obviously not interested in this wedding, Draco, so I don't know why we're bothering." 

"What?" 

"Actually, I have an idea. Let's not." 

"Let's not what?" Draco was confused by now, as anyone would have been. 

"Get married. You're not interested. I'm having a nervous breakdown trying to co-ordinate the bloody thing. I quit!" 

"What? Quit what?" 

She calmly removed her glasses, placing them in her pocket. "Us." She picked up her cloak from the chair next to Draco and Disapparated. 

Draco's mind was reeling. 'Did she just split up with me?' It certainly seemed that way. 

***

Hermione was still half-asleep when Ginny's face appeared in the kitchen hearth. Harry had to talk to the redhead, even though he was just about to head off for Quidditch practise. 

Ginny looked troubled. "Is Hermione there?" she asked nervously. Harry cast a glance over at Hermione. She was pouring herself a cup of strong coffee. She hadn't slept well the previous night, as Harry could testify. She had kept him awake as well before he finally dropped off at around three in the morning. 

At just over four months into her pregnancy, the baby had started to move, and seemed to be particularly active at night. 

Hermione took a sip of her coffee and nodded. 

"Yes, she's here," Harry told the younger girl. 

"Can I speak to her?" 

"Sure." Hermione took Harry's place in front of the fire. 

"What's the matter, Gin?" 

She looked strangely pale, even in the flickering gold's and reds of the fire. "Are you busy today?" 

Hermione bit her lip. Actually she did have plans for the day, but one look at Ginny's trouble expression told her they were going to have to wait. "No," she said resignedly. 

"Can I come round?" Hermione nodded. Ginny looked relieved at this. "Good. I'll see you in a few minutes." 

Her face disappeared from the flames, prompting a question from Harry. "Is she all right?" 

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Shouldn't you be going now?" Harry frowned, then nodded. 

"I'll see you later," he promised, before pressing his lips to hers in a lingering kiss. He grinned at her then Disapparated. 

When Ginny arrived a few minutes later, Hermione had managed to change into some reasonable day clothes, rather than the pyjamas she had been wearing before. She was just securing her hair into a low ponytail when Ginny Apparated into the kitchen. 

She appeared to be even more distressed now than when Hermione had spoken to her in the fireplace. Hermione led her into the living room, and the two sat opposite each other. After a moment Ginny finally spoke. "I have a problem." 

"Anything I can help with?" 

"I dunno. Maybe." She paused. "I'm late." 

It took a second for this to register with Hermione, then another second for the full implication of this to make impact. "Oh. Have you spoken about this with Seamus?" 

"No! You're the first person I've spoken to." She bit her lip, staring at the carpet. "I don't know what to do." Ginny paused. "If I am... pregnant, then I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm too young to settle down and have a family." 

Hermione cleared her throat, and Ginny blushed, realising what she had said. "I didn't mean that _you're_ too young. I mean, this is you and Harry. You've been friends since you were eleven and you were practically married when we were still at Hogwarts." 

Hermione grinned. "What about you and Seamus? You're in a pretty solid relationship." 

The redhead shrugged. "I suppose. But I don't want to have children yet. I only left Hogwarts last July. I have time to do the marriage and children thing. Eva has just signed a deal with a publisher that means we are both going to be very rich and Seamus has..." she trailed off. 

Her friend raised a curious eyebrow, but then decided not to pursue the subject further. "Have you done a test yet?" 

Ginny shook her head. She fiddled with a button on her robes. "No." 

"Why not?" 

She licked her lips. "Because I might be disappointed." 

There was a silence between the two of them, seemingly waiting for Hermione to say something. "Do you want children, Ginny?" 

"Of course," came the earnest reply. "It's in my blood, I suppose." Ginny stopped. "I just don't know if I want them yet." 

***

_**A/N:** Whew. Yet more twists and turns in the world of 'Happily Ever After?'. Will life ever be normal for them all? I seriously doubt it. The good news is that during my writers block I made up a plan for the rest of the story and exactly what was going to be in each of the remaining chapters. The bad news is that I lost it. Ah well, I'm sure I'll find it eventually._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Sixteen:_   
cheap-barbie - Trust me, you don't need to describe the Union Jack to me (or the St. George's Cross!). I am English, and proud of it! :) I think I just used navy as a third colour. Anyway, I think the England football team have navy as part of one of their strips - red shirts navy shorts if I remember correctly. I'm not really a big sports fan.   
goldenrain#1 - Thanx. Like I said. I had a plan of everything I need to write, but I lost it. I am not happy about that, trust me.   
Mushroom - Thanx for the recommendations.   
Hermione2003Potter - No, no twins (though I'm not denying that it could happen in the future). I have the sex of the baby already decided, as well as the name. I'm still deciding on a middle name, though.   
Missy58 - I enjoy writing these fics, and I'm very glad you enjoy them. I'll be sure to check out that sage you recommended. :)   
bookworm4ever - I hope you weren't too disappointed by the Hermione/Justin meeting. I'm not entirely happy with it myself, actually.   
Amanda - Thanx!   
SilverTears13*- I'm writing as fast as I can!   
Sonata - No, trust me, it was just bad English. I could probably have found a better way to phrase that.   
Nadako-Mika - When I start writing, I just can't stop! That's why I'm so fast at times and slow at others.   
Noodlejelly - The baby will be coming in a few chapters. Poor you - I hope the re-writing is going okay. And yes, Remus is still available.   
Oliverwoodschic - I think Ron is always going to be protective of Ginny - she's his ickle sister and he cares a lot about her.   
lust4luv - Thanx!   
Andrea - Thanx - here's more for you to read.   
Blunder - I'm trying to keep up the good work.   
EaRtHaNgEl831 - I hope this is all right for you!   
Opaque - I would love to be an author. I have all these ideas for beginnings of novels, but I can never seem to think of an ending.   
Harry+Hermione r 4eva- He didn't. I hope you're happy.   
Hikari47 - Thanx!   
harrypotterfan - I have the name picked out, but you're not going to find out until it's actually born.   
Jenny- Finished? Nope. There's still a few to go. If I remember correctly from my plan there's about five. But that'll probably change if I don't find it.   
Gryffindor Quidditch Angel - I've thought about that, but that would mean the baby would be two months early. Hmm... I've yet to decide. Anyway, at the moment it looks as though there's not going to be a wedding...   
Usotsuki - Yes, and Hufflepuff's are very trustworthy.   
Viwiel - Thanx!   
mor - I'm writing as fast as the ideas are coming!   
Pussy Wagon - Thanx!   
sugar-n-spice - Nope, I admit it. I couldn't resist having him model undwear.   
Invisblegrl - I know what you mean. Trying to get these chapters so that I like them is very difficult. There are some chapters from my fics that I absolutely abhore.   
aaliyah-potter - Thanx!   
Hannah Abby - Hope you liked the Herm/Justin thing. It's probably not what people were expecting... but then again, I like to do the unexpected.   
Heaven - Glad you like my H/Hr moments. I've read your fic and I think it's good. Keep writing! 


	18. Chapter Eighteen

***

**

HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Eighteen

**

***

"Ron, we're going out for a meal on Tuesday." Looking up from the meal he was preparing, Ron could tell that Lavender wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. When she had that particular look in her face, Ron knew that she was even more stubborn than he was. 

"Is there a special occassion I should know about?" he asked, feverently hoping that he hadn't forgotten her birthday or an anniversary of some kind. 

She shook her head and Ron gave a silent sigh of relief. Ron turned back to his cauldron, and Lavender gave a sly smile that he couldn't see. "What are you making?" she asked curiously. 

"My special Weasley soup." He stirred the orange mixture and Lavender raised an eyebrow. This was the first she had heard of a 'special Weasley soup'. 

She took a seat at the kitchen table. It was littered with all sorts of documents that Ginny had left lying around. A thick pile of parchment looked as though it was a draft manuscript for Eva's next novel, but Lavender resisted the temptation to read it. Eva (or rather, her pseudonym 'Calista Lovejoy') had been a favourite author of Lavender's since she was in fifth year and Parvati had introduced her to one of her books. 

There was a tapping at the window, signalling the arrival of the owl post. Lavender looked at the clock. 

"They're late today," she commented, before opening the window. Two owls swooped in, dropping letters on the table before flying out again, though not before leaving a trail of feathers in their wake. 

One of the letters was addressed to Lavender, the other was for Ron in the unmistakable scrawl of Molly Weasley. 

Wondering why his mother would be writing to him (again, he was sure he hadn't forgotten her birthday or his parent's wedding anniversary), he opened it, half-expecting it to be a Howler in disguise. 

The twins had been working on the 'Howlers in disguise' for their joke shop. They looked just like regular letters until you opened them and their true nature was revealed. 

Molly Weasley had commented that she if the twins had invented them while they were still in Hogwarts they would have been very useful. 

Luckily, the letter didn't explode in his face. It was a normal letter, and Ron heaved a sigh of relief. 

_Dear Ron,   
I can barely believe this as I write it. It's about Fred._

Ron was sure he stopped breathing as he read that. Had his brother been in in some ort of accident? Then next line of his mother's handwriting clarified the situation. 

_He eloped. I wasn't even aware that he was in a serious relationship, but he owled me this morning to tell me that he got married to a young lady called Abigail Winters.   
He didn't even tell me! When I see him he'll be very sorry..._

Molly Weasley's ranting went on for another page and a half of parchment. It appeared that by the time Molly had gotten through with Fred he was going to have problems having children. She was not happy, and Ron was glad he had decided not to go round to the Burrow for a visit. 

"Guess what?" asked Ron, turning to Lavender. He faltered. Lavender looked devastated. "What's wrong?" 

Lavender put down the letter she had received. "It's from Parvati," she explained. 

"And?" 

"And she says that Padma has called off the wedding." 

"As in Padma Patil? As in Padma and Draco who are a couple almost as perfect as Harry and Hermione?" 

"The very same." 

Ron let out a low whistle. "Does Parvati say why?" Lavender shook her head. 

"Just that Padma's staying with her ad Dean until they get something sorted out. Padma's in quite a state." Sighing, Lavender stood and picked up her navy cloak which was lying across the back of a chair and her bag (matching, obviously). "I'd better go and seen if there's anything I can do." 

"Not much point," said Ron, realising something. "Padma's got Quidditch practise - England have a friendly against Australia next week." 

Lavender frowned. "Oh." A wicked grin crept across her face. "How do you fancy going to watch?" 

"Lav, you can't just sneak into the England Quidditch practise." 

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to! I don't have to - not when I have the junior ambassador for Australia for a boyfriend." 

It was Ron's turn to grin. He quickly lowered the temperature of the fire that was heating his soup (the advantages of magic), and put a lid on the cauldron. "Let's go." 

***

"Are you ready?" 

Ginny nodded nervously. She still wasn't sure if she wanted to know or not, but she had decided to bite the bullet and cast the spell. Or, more technically, get Hermione to cast the spell while she closed her eyes not quite sure what she wanted the result to be. 

She pulled up her t-shirt, a squirmed slightly as Hermione placed her wand on her stomach. The brunette cast the spell, speaking the incantation in barely more than a whisper. 

With her eyes still tightly closed, Ginny didn't know the result. 

"You can open your eyes," Hermione told her, putting her wand back in the pocket of her robes. "It's negative, Ginny. You're not pregnant." 

Ginny's eyes snapped open. "You're sure?" 

Hermione nodded. "The spell is 100% accurate. There aren't going to be any baby Ginny and Seamus's running around. Well, not yet anyway," she added with a wry smile. 

Ginny wasn't entirely sure why she started crying. She wasn't sure whether it was because she wasn't pregnant and they were tears of joy, or if it was because she wasn't pregnant and they were tears of sorrow. Either way, she cried, letting the tears fall down her cheeks, and then onto Hermione's shirt when the older witch wrapped her arms around her in a protective hug. 

"Tell you what, Gin, why don't we go and watch the England Quidditch practise? Lots of good-looking men in training gear." Hermione grinned as Ginny wiped her eyes on a tissue she had summoned. The redhead nodded, still a bit tearful. 

"Sure. Um, Hermione, can we keep this between us? I don't really want anyone to know." 

"If you're sure." Ginny nodded, then smiled. 

"What are we waiting for? There are men in shorts waiting to be watched!" 

***

"Urgh! Is that Harry and Hermione snogging again?" asked Lavender, taking a seat in the stands at the training ground. She pointed at a couple down on the pitch who were quite caught up in a kiss. Getting into the training grounds had been no problem. As soon as Ron had mentioned his name they had let him in willingly, and even offered to open the Top Box for him. He had declined, of course, preferring to be a bit closer to the action. 

"Actually, it's Oliver and Trisha." Ginny sat next to her brother, grinning. 

"What are you doing here, Gin?" Ron asked. 

"I came with Hermione," she explained. "You know - men in shorts." She scowled slightly scanning the pitch. "Damn. They're all in their robes." She pointed at two more people on the pitch. "That," she explained, "is Harry and Hermione." 

Another couple on the pitch were talking animatedly, and it was clear to see that Ginny was right - Harry's unmistakable hair could be seen clearly against his new white training robes. 

"Hermione are you sure you should be here?" Harry looked seriously at her, running a hand through his messy raven hair. He had already done a couple of laps of the pitch on his broom and it was even more unkempt than usual. 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm.." 

"Not an invalid," Harry finished. "But you haven't been looking too well recently. I'm worried." 

"You're always worried," said Hermione resting a hand on his shoulder. Looking into his eyes, she said, "I know you love me, and I love you too, but you can't worry about me constantly." 

"Yes, I can," Harry murmured before kissing her gently. He placed a hand on her stomach. "I worry about both of you. You know the doctor said you could get ill if you do too much." 

"Of course. That was also the same doctor who told me it was very unlikely I'd ever be able to have children," Hermione reminded him. She kissed him, then said, "I'm going to go and sit with the others before you quit Quidditch to care for me full time." 

"I will if you want me to!" Harry called after her retreating back. Hermione turned around, grinning. 

"Don't you dare!" she shouted. 

***

"Lavender, isn't this a little... _expensive_?" Ron asked, looking nervously up at _Le Petit Choux_. Ron and Lavender had only been there once before, shortly after they had graduated from Hogwarts and Harry had insisted on treating them. "Valentines day was a couple of weeks ago," he reminded her. 

"I know that!" Lavender exclaimed. "I just thought it would make a nice change." 

"On a school night? Why aren't you at Hogwarts?" 

"Stop asking questions," she commanded, brushing down her navy dress. It sparkled in the street lights, and looked rather striking when paired with her hair, which was currently black. "Let's go inside." 

They were shown to their table by a stuffy-looking waiter, who obviously didn't think they were good enough to be in the restaurant. He didn't seem to think they were good enough to even _work_ at the restaurant. However, when Lavender just happened to mention Ron's job in the waiter's presence he seemed to warm to them. 

When they had were waiting for their desserts, Lavender surprised Ron by asking; "Do you know what day it is today?" 

Ron thought this was a rather strange question. Lavender _had_ to know what day it was. "It's Tuesday," he responded. 

She didn't look impressed. "I meant the date," she scowled. 

"Oh! Err... the 29th." 

"Of...?" she prompted. 

"February?" Ron asked uncertainly. Lavender nodded. "Is there something special about that?" he asked. "Apart from it, you know, being the 29th of February?" 

Lavender looked pensive, as though she were trying to come to a conclusion on a very big decision. She pulled something out of a pocket in her dress. Ron decided that the dress must have been enchanted, as there had been no pockets visible, and judging by the way that it clung to her, there was nowhere to hide anything. She placed something on the table. 

Ron turned pale. 

Lavender didn't look much better. She looked across the table at Ron, and licked her lips nervously. "Ronald Weasley, you mean the world to me, and I can't imagine growing old without you. Will you marry me?" 

***

_**A/N:** Wow. There's Chapter Eighteen, and I managed to break 300 reviews with Chapter Seventeen - well done to everyone who reviewed! People have been asking for a very long time whether Ron and Lav are getting married, but what will Ron say? Is Harry ever going to stop worrying about Hermione and the baby? Will I ever listen to my reviewers and do a Dean/Parvati scene? Have I started asking these stupid questions again?_

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Seventeen:_   
Dark Moon - Thanx!   
Gem Stone - Thanx, I think it's probably my best story _yet_ - when this one's finished I have another H/Hr in the pipeline.   
mystical - Tha Padma/Draco situation will get sorted out, I promise!   
SilverTears13 - I have a Dean/Paravti scene planned. It should appear in a couple of chapters.   
potter-chick - Hermione's parents dying is mention in Chapter One, but the actual event isn't mention in this fic. It happens in the spin-off fic called 'Life's a Song'.   
The All Red Chameleon - I found my planning sheet! Yay! It was in one of my many writing folders. I now know what's going to happen in this fic and how it's going to end. I even know exactly how many chapters there are going to be.   
Alexandra6082005 - Thanx!   
Hermione2003Potter - Thanx for offering to help with the baby's name, but I have it all picked out now - only a few more chapters until it is revealed!   
Sonata - A twist? Me put a twist in the plot? Well, yes actually.   
Mushroom - Well, I mentioned Fred in this chapter. George'll probably show up at some point.   
bookworm4ever - Yeah, we all change - just compare my writing style of this to 'The Matchmakers'!   
Invisblegrl - I know it was short, and I apologise - this one is slightly longer, though.   
hyperwhich - It seems that your author name is quite accurtae, then! :)   
Oliverwoodschic - That part didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to, but it will get resolved, I promise.   
Pragmat - Thanx for not holding the H/Hr thing against me. Personally I can't stand H/G, to each his/her own, I suppose.   
Seanluvr - Exactly. That's why I write cliffhangers - it makes people read the next chapter.   
Noodlejelly - Cheer up - maybe you'll start writing again one day - your fics are really good. I have taken notice of your campaign and I'll see what I can do. Seeing as Sirius already has a wife, I think Remus needs someone. A cameo by a reviewer maybe? Hmmm... I'll have to have a think...   
Viwiel - Thanx!   
orange-bunny - I hope you're happy: she isn't pregnant. 


	19. Chapter Nineteen

***

**

HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Nineteen

**

***

Ron sat there in shock, Lavender looking expectantly at him. If he had been expecting her to say anything, it certainly wasn't _that_. 

He gulped. "Yes." 

Lavender's face lit up. "You're sure?" she asked, clearly not sure whether Ron was telling the truth. 

"Of course I'm sure!" Ron assured her, now grinning like a maniac. 

Across the table from him, Lavender let out a sigh of relief. "I was sure you were going to say 'no'." Ron was a bit bemused about this, and it showed on his freckled face. 

"Why? Of course I would!" 

"Well," Lavender said, "I didn't think you wanted to get married, I mean, you've had loads of opportunities to ask me; Christmas, Valentines day..." 

"But I didn't think _you_ wanted to get married!" Ron said, laughing nervously. "I was an idiot, wasn't I?" he asked frowning. 

"Yes, but that's why I love you," Lavender told him, placing a hand over Ron's larger hand. The soon-to-be Mrs Lavender Weasley grinned broadly at him at him. 

Feeling slightly dazed, but extremely happy, Ron smiled back. He wasn't going to forget this day any time soon. 

***

Harry was finishing making a piece of toast, when Draco Malfoy's blonde head appeared in the fireplace. Harry almost dropped his toast (butter side down, of course) when he realised that Malfoy was there. 

"Uh, hullo, Harry," said Draco nervously. 

"Hi, Draco. Hermione's at work." 

"Oh, right. Well, actually it was you I wanted to talk to." 

Harry raised an eyebrow at this. Draco wanted to talk to _him_. That was different. While the two of them were certainly friends now, any time that Malfoy's head appeared in the fireplace, he usually wanted to talk to Hermione. "What about?" 

"Can I come round to yours?" Malfoy asked. Harry nodded his agreement, and a couple of seconds later, Draco Malfoy stepped out of the fireplace, dusting off his robes. 

As Harry munched on his toast, Draco recalled the events that led up to Padma walking out on him and the wedding. "She was always claiming that I wasn't paying attention to her, and now I get the feeling she was right," Draco concluded. "What am I going to do? The wedding was supposed to be in three weeks!" 

"This is exactly why me and Hermione eloped," Harry said, placing his plate in the kitchen sink, Leaning against the worktop, he said, "I think Padma's just a little worked up about everything. Hermione was getting stressed when we were planning the wedding too." 

"I feel so guilty," admitted Draco sullenly. He frowned. "I wish there was something I could have done." 

"You do realise she hasn't cancelled the wedding, don't you?" asked Harry. 

"What?" Draco looked up, surprise written across his pale face. 

Harry nodded. "According to Hermione, she hasn't even postponed it. It's still set for the sixth of May." 

"So I still have a chance?" 

"Yeah. It certainly looks like it." 

"Great!" Malfoy looked happier about this, though the nervousness soon returned. "Harry, the main reason I think she walked out is that I still haven't found a Best Man." He was now looking at the floor, avoiding Harry's gaze entirely. 

"Oh?" 

"That's why I came to you." He hesitated, still staring intently at the floor, as though it held the answer to the meaning of life. "Now, I know we're not the best of friends and we hated each other when we first met, but things have changed and I can't think of anyone more capable to be my Best Man." 

Harry was amazed by this, and it clearly showed on his face. "What do you think?" Draco asked, the merest hint of hope in his voice. 

Still shocked by Malfoy's request, Harry spoke slowly. "I think you should go and tell Padma you've got yourself a Best Man." 

Malfoy grinned at this, rising from his seat at the table. For a second it appeared that he was going to hug Harry, but then decided against it. Regaining his composure, he said, "Thank you, you have no idea what this means." 

"No problem," Harry assured him, not quite sure what else to say. 

After a hurried goodbye, Malfoy Disapparated, leaving Harry alone in the kitchen. 

Harry let out a loud sigh. _This_ was certainly something he had to tell Hermione. 

***

Since she had walked out on Draco, Padma had been staying with Parvati and Dean. At first they had welcomed her, but now Padma had a feeling that she was outstaying her welcome. Something had to be done about the situation. 

After thinking for a very long time, Padma decided she'd try and contact Draco - it couldn't hurt to talk to him. 

However, it appeared that he wasn't home. She was just settling herself onto the plush blue couch when the doorbell rang. 

This in itself was highly unusual, as most visitors simply Apparated into the house. Padma frowned and went to open the door. It was probably someone trying to sell something or convert her. 

When she opened the door to reveal her fiancée (or ex-fiancée, or whatever Draco was to her as she hadn't yet decided), she blanched. "Draco! Uh, what are you doing here?" 

"I wanted to talk to you." He frowned. "You know, if you're busy, I can come back some other time or..." 

"No!" she said quickly. "I'm not." She blushed slightly, feeling a lot like when the had started going out. "Do you want to come in?" He nodded, and she led him into Parvati and Dean's living room. The floor was littered with various bridal magazines and scraps of material from the bridesmaids dress. She blushed even more when Draco saw this. 

"Sit, down," she said, gesturing towards a chair. 

"Thanks," Draco said, sitting in an armchair, trying not to sit on any pieces of parchment etc. "I wanted to apologise," he started. 

Padma raised an eyebrow at this. "You _do_, do you?" 

"Yes," Draco told her, feeling a twinge of hurt at this reception. "I was a prat. A complete and utter prat. I should have listened to you and found a Best Man when you told me too." 

Draco, as much as I still love you, the wedding is supposed to be in three weeks! I'm on the verge of cancelling it - we'll never have time to organise everything that still needs to be organised." 

Moving from his seat to sit next to Padma, Draco took her hand in his. He removed her reading glasses and placed them on the coffee table. She flushed slightly at this gesture of affection. Draco always removed her glasses before he wanted to kiss her and while Padma knew this, Draco never realised that he did it; when she had asked him once, he had said it was simply a reflex. 

"Yes, we will. See now that I've got a Best Man, I can help you with everything. I'm not going to let you do this on your own." 

"You've got a Best Man?" Padma narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Who?" 

"Harry." 

Her eyes widened. "You asked Harry Potter to be your Best Man? When?" 

Checking the clock on the wall, Draco replied, "About ten minutes ago." 

"Really?" Padma wasn't sure if she should believe him or not, but Draco nodded. 

"Yes." He frowned. "Can I kiss you now?" he asked earnestly, leaning in towards her. 

"Be my guest," she murmured, as his lips finally pressed against hers. 

***

When Molly Weasley decided to throw a party, she _really_ threw a party. 

The Burrow was swarming with people, many of whom had red hair. Ron assured Harry that they were his cousins and aunts and uncles. Surprisingly Ron seemed to remember all their names. 

At the news of her youngest son's engagement, Mrs Weasley had organised a huge party to celebrate it. She was in an amazingly happy mood and was hugging everyone in sight. Except Fred. She didn't seem to have forgiven him for eloping. As it was, Molly was delighted with her new daughter-in-law. 

Abigail was a petite blonde woman, who came from a family which was probably larger than the Weasley family. She seemed to be able to match Fred in her wicked sense of humour and even turned her new husband's hair purple at one point during the party. 

Hermione was attempting to enjoy the party, but after only a couple of hours she decided that it was a bit too much for her. She tried to persuade Harry to stay at the party, but after a few minutes she gave in and allowed him to accompany her home. 

"Are you all right, Parvati?" Dean asked, slipping an arm around his girlfriend. 

Parvati sighed, pushing a dark piece of hair away from her eyes. There was a jangling sound as her many brightly-coloured bangles clashed together. "I suppose." 

"What's wrong?" Dean demanded. Parvati wasn't telling him everything, that much was clear. 

Frowning, Parvati waved an arm towards all the other people at the party. "This. Everything." She screwed up her nose. "Harry and Hermione are very happily married, my twin sister is getting married next month, and my best friend just got engaged." 

"Ah." Dean didn't really know what he should say to that. Was Parvati depressed because of all the weddings, or because _she_ wasn't getting married? 

There was only one solution to this that Dean could think of. 

Holding her hand, he said, "Marry me." 

Parvati rolled her eyes. "Dean stop being a prat!" 

"But I mean it!" he protested. 

"No you don't." 

She didn't look impressed with his spur of the minute proposal. He had thought it was a very romantic gesture. Clearly he was wrong. 

"Why don't I mean it?" asked Dean, eager to find out why Parvati said he didn't mean it. 

"Because you're only proposing to cheer me up." She smiled. "As much as I know you love me, I know you don't want to marry me at this precise moment." 

"I think you could be right," said Dean slowly. "I don't think I'm mature enough to get married," he said with a grin. 

"Me neither," agreed Parvati. 

"Hey!" protested Dean. "You weren't supposed to agree with me!" 

"I meant _I'm_ not mature enough to get married," Parvati explained. Grinning she kissed him. "What would you have done if I'd said yes?" 

Dean bit his lip. He hadn't really thought that far ahead. "Erm... you'd probably have seen a Dean-shaped hole in that wall," he said, nodding the direction of the aforementioned wall. 

Parvati giggled. "Either that or you'd have fainted." Dean nodded in agreement. 

As one of Parvati's favourite songs was played, he stood up. He held out his hand to her. "Would madam care to dance?" 

Taking his hand with a smile, Parvati stood. "Thank you, kind sir. I would be honoured." 

Laughing, they joined the rest of the guests who were dancing. 

***

_**A/N:** This story is finally nearing its completion. There are only a couple more chapters left (and I mean that literally - two chapters left to go!). Before anyone starts asking, there will not be a sequel to this fic any time in the near future. Once I've finished this fic and 'Chocolate and Pumpkin Ice Cream', I have a couple of other fics that I would like to write, as well as 'The Spaces Between Shadows & Night' a collaboration I am doing with another writer. Please review, I enjoy your feedback. Chapter Twenty (!) should be out in a week or so if you're lucky._

_Review, Flame, Whatever._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Eighteen:_   
PotterRose - Thanx. I try and keep my fic as original as I can. The first fic in this series was terribly cliched, but thankfully I've grown out of that!   
The Charmed One - Thanx - I have a lot of fun writing this.   
SilverTears13 - Thanx! Yup, George is still single, though.   
Mushroom - I've had the whole Lavender-proposing scene worked out in my head for a while. Unfortunately I've had to wait until it got to February 29th to write it.   
mystical - Thanx!   
lust4luv - Don't worry, Lavender and Ron will _not_ break up.   
Belle - That's a nice name. I've already picked a name though... everyone'll have to keep waiting.   
Hermione2003Potter - lol. It was a bit short, wasn't it? Never mind...   
Lady Greene - Thanx!   
Sonata - The baby will come eventually, I promise. Remember - only two chapters to go in this fic.   
Okie Da 12 - Thanx!   
Oliverwoodschic - Thanx!   
Gem Stone - I lke to write things that people never expect will happen. It makes things a whole lot more interesting, don't you think?   
star429 - Thanx!   
The All Red Chameleon - I'm so sorry for doing three cliffies in a row. It wasn't intentional, I promise. I just write and they appear out of nowhere!   
Usotsuki - It _is_ usually the man who proposes, but there's a tradtion that on February 29th women propose. Seeing as this is in the year 2000, I couldn't help it.   
Chavi - My sentiments exactly! :D   
Hannah Abby - I like to make my fics as interesting as possible. Glad you liked the ending of the chapter.   
Blunder - Thanx!   
Alexandra6082005 - I'll try and keep up the good work. 


	20. Chapter Twenty

***

**

HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Twenty

**

***

The sixth of May. At one point it had appeared as though it would never get there. It had also appeared that the wedding of Draco Malfoy and Padma Patil was never going to happen. 

But it finally was, and at about ten o'clock in the morning, Draco was pacing his living room, his Best man looking on in amusement as the groom also attempted to tie his bowtie. After watching the blonde man struggle for a few minutes, Harry finally decided to give him a hand, and cast a quick spell. 

The wedding was set for twelve o'clock and time seemed to be dragging on. 

"I really wish I could see how Padma's getting on," said Draco thoughtfully after thanking Harry for helping him. 

"No!" Harry was adamant about that. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding." 

"Oh, please," scorned Draco. "That's a silly Muggle tradition." 

"All the same, I think you should avoid seeing her," said Dean coming into the room, accompanied by Ron, Seamus and the final usher, Lisa Turpin's current boyfriend whom she had been dating for the past seven months. His name was Bart Johnson and he played Beater for the Puddlemere United Reserve team. 

Dean was carrying a large bottle of champagne and Ron had several glasses. They quickly poured out six glasses of bubbly and Ron proposed a toast. 

"To Draco's last two hours as a free man," he said, lifting his glass high. 

"Here, here," echoed the others, sans Harry, who felt rather left out as the only married man in the room. Granted, Ron was engaged, but neither he nor Lavender planned on tying the knot any time in at least the next sixth months. 

A similar scene was going on at the Cottage, where the bride and the other women were getting ready. 

"This is very depressing," commented Hermione, surveying the bridesmaids. At seven months pregnant, Hermione felt huge compared to the others. 

"You look gorgeous, Hermione," Lavender assured her, finishing off her hair in a nearby mirror. 

"I look fat," pointed out Hermione. 

"No you don't - you look pregnant," pointed out Ginny. She was busy searching under the sofa for her shoes. Somehow she had lost them. 

"I wonder why that is," said Hermione dryly. 

Lavender was sat on the sofa next to Hermione. She was currently debating about which colour to have her nails. Hermione had thought she had decided days before, but apparently not. The blonde (Lavender's hair colour was now just a few shades darker than Lisa's white-blonde), had already tried varying shades of pink and was now working on the reds. 

After much debate, the dresses were a very dark purple colour - at one point Padma had almost chosen pale yellow ones until Parvati pointed out that the colour was... well, horrible. 

Eventually Lavender decided on a lilac colour, though Hermione was sure that by the time they got to the chapel they would be a completely different colour. 

Parvati appeared to be the only person who wasn't complaining or worrying about her appearance. But there was, of course, a reason for this. 

"Parvati," her sister asked cautiously. "Erm, exactly how much have to had to drink?" 

Her twin turned her gaze (which was slightly unfocused by now) to the bottle of champagne she had opened. It was not more than half empty. "It was full when I started it," she admitted with a grin. "Don't worry," she said standing up and nearly falling over, "there's plenty left for you." Some of the champagne spilled onto the carpet and Parvati wobbled unsteadily on her high heels. 

With a groan, Padma sank into a chair. "Great!" she moaned. "I'm getting married in just over an hour and my maid of honour is completely sozzled!" 

With a loud hiccup, Paravti managed to say, "Hey - I'm not drunk! Tipsy yes, but drunk? No?" She gave another loud hiccup and proceeded to take a slug of the drink from the bottle. Padma gave another groan. 

Hermione grabbed the bottle from Parvati, ignoring her protests. She handed it to Lavender who placed it a safe distance from Parvati. 

"Parvati Patil, get a grip!" Hermione ordered, while Ginny appeared in the room, carrying her mislaid shoes in her hand. She cast a quick sobering spell and Parvati blinked. She clutched her head. 

"Ow! You could have at least cast an anti-hangover spell!" she cried. 

"I could have," Hermione nodded. "But I didn't want to." Placing her hands on her hips and trying to look as authorative as possible she said, "Now - finish getting ready." 

Muttering something about feeling sorry for any children of Hermione's, Parvati did as she said and left the room to try and find out what had happened to Padma's bouquet. 

"Thanks, Hermione," smiled Padma, trying to compose herself. 

"No problem." 

***

"Where on Earth could she be?" Draco hissed to Harry. 

Harry rolled his eyes. Padma was exactly two minutes late, and Draco was already panicking. 

"What is she changed her mind?" Draco asked nervously. "What if she doesn't really want to marry me and ran off to..." 

"To where?" 

"Oh, I dunno... Poland!" 

"D'you really think she'd do that?" asked Harry, wondering why on Earth Draco had thought Padma would go to Poland. He decided it was probably just a random destination Malfoy had chosen in a moment of panic. As it happened, Harry was right. 

Draco shrugged. "Stranger things have happened in my life." 

Harry had to agree with him there. If there ever was an award for the strangest lifetimes so far, Harry had to admit that he and his friends would be right up there with a chance. 

"Stop worrying," Harry said nudging him in the ribs and nodding in the direction of the door of the chapel which had just opened. 

The bridesmaids were the first to appear, all with their respective partners: Ginny and Seamus, Lisa and Bart, Ron and Lavender and finally Parvati and Dean. 

Padma was the last to walk down the isle, her father accompanying her. Draco felt his breath catch in his chest. He had seen scraps of material left around their home and countless bridal magazines, but nothing had prepared him for this. Her dress was a combination of Eastern and Western influences, fitting her perfectly. She looked stunning. 

But it wasn't her dress that Draco noticed first. It was her face, and the way that her eyes lit up when she spotted him. 

When they recited their vows, he saw nothing but her eyes looking into his own, glistening with tears of happiness. She didn't cry though, but Parvati did, and had to be comforted by a distressed-looking Dean. Obviously he hadn't been expecting this sort of reaction from his girlfriend. 

The reception went on until well into the next morning. Again, Parvati got completely sozzled, much to her sister's despair and Dean's embarrassment (she tried pulling down his trousers in front of the other guests). One couple, however, left well before the end of the party. 

Harry and Hermione arrived home at just before twelve. Hermione had almost fallen asleep twice before then, so eventually Harry had insisted that they leave. Hermione had wanted to stay, but Harry managed to persuade her after a couple of hours. 

"Honestly, Harry!" Hermione had exclaimed. "I'm perfectly fine." 

"But, Hermione, you've been yawning solidly for the last hour and a half. And you almost fell asleep during my speech." 

Hermione had rolled her eyes and said, "You don't exactly give the most interesting speeches, Harry." Harry had chosen to ignore this jibe, and blame her tiredness instead. 

***

A few weeks after the wedding, when Harry returned home for Quidditch practise, her discovered Hermione asleep in the living room on the sofa, a baby book laid across her chest. After closing the window (even though it was nearly the middle of June now, it still got a little chilly in the evening), Harry stopped to gaze at his wife. 

_It's absurd_, Harry decided, _how our friendship has changed over the years_. Thinking back at a later date, Harry decided that it was actually an insult from Ron which sparked off the friendship between the three. Friendship probably wasn't the right word to describe Harry and Hermione's relationship, though. Love was a lot closer, but at times Harry felt that even that didn't cover exactly how he felt. 

The house was quiet. Smiling, Harry realised that it wouldn't be like that for much longer; in around a month there would be a child there with them. 

_My child_. Until then, Harry hadn't realised exactly how close that baby's arrival was. To tell the absolute truth, Harry was, for a brief moment, completely and utterly terrified. Was he really mature enough to have a child? Ron would joke that Harry wasn't, then reassure him, leaving Harry none the wiser. Hermione definitely was. She had a definite maternal instinct, that Harry just felt he didn't have. 

Moving closer to her, Harry knelt on the floor. Gently, so as not to disturb Hermione, he pulled back her t-shirt to expose her stomach. 

"You're really in there, aren't you?" Harry whispered in awe. "And soon you'll be out here." He cautiously placed a hand on her stomach. He could have sworn he felt a kick before Hermione said: 

"Harry, why are you talking to my stomach?" 

Harry looked at her. Her brown eyes were now open, and she was looking at him, curiosity and amusement etched across her face. 

"Erm..." Harry blushed, and Hermione grinned at him. "I was talking to the baby," he admitted, running a hand through his messy hair as Hermione struggled into a sitting position. Harry was quiet for a moment. "Do you think it can hear me?" 

She nodded. "Yeah, I think so." Leaning forward, she kissed Harry unexpectedly. 

"What was that for?" asked Harry, a bemused expression crossing his face which was beginning to tan from long hours outside at Quidditch practise. 

Hermione shrugged. "I dunno. Can't I kiss you for no reason?" 

"Only if I'm allowed to kiss you," Harry told her, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. 

There was a slight 'pop', then an embarrassed voice which cut through the romantic moment. "Err... I really should call before I come round, shouldn't I?" 

Harry nodded, turning to Sirius. "Yeah, that might be a good idea in the future," he told his godfather. 

Sirius nodded. "Will do," he assured them. 

"Have you come here for a reason?" Hermione inquired. 

"Nah, just a social call." He grinned. "Seeing as you two are busy, I'll come back some other time." 

Before either Harry of Hermione could stop him, Sirius had Disapparated with another 'pop'. 

"I never understand him," said Hermione, shaking her head. 

"Me neither," agreed Harry. He smiled. "Now," he started. "Where were we?" 

Grinning, Hermione kissed him. "Ah," said Harry. "Now I remember." 

***

_**A/N:** Well, there's Chapter Twenty - the penultimate chapter. Yes, that's right: there's only one more chapter left. I can't believe it's nearly the end! If you want to contact me (or pester me to get the next chapter out, feel free to AIM me at Capricornearth._

_Review, Flame, Whatever._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Nineteen:_   
Chaosknight86 - There probably won't be a sequel to this. I haven't planned for one, and I honestly don't have a plot for what happens after this finishes. There is the possibility of short one-shot ficlets in the future, but I have other fanfics I would like to write.   
Mushroom - Actually, it's not February in both chapters. It was February in Chapter Seventeen, but Chapter Nineteen is the end of March/beginning of April and May. I have a whole plan for this fic since about Chapter Eighteen.   
Death-Demon Xero - I'm not entirely sure whether Dumbledore or any of the other professors from Hogwarts will make an appearance. To be honest, they have very little to do with Harry, Hermione and the others. I'll think about at least mentioning them in the next chapter.   
SilverTears13 - Well, seeing as the next chapter is the last one, I guess the baby will be appearing then!   
weirdgirl - I'm honoured to be the first person you've ever reviewed. I don't really want to delve deeper in Seamus's company (the Nimbus Corporation). A lot of very... well, I don't quite know how to describe what goes on there. It's the sort of place where no-one really _wants_ to know what happens.   
Adhara - Yes, it was a quote from _Friends_. I take a lot of quotes/inspiration from there and _Buffy_.   
sal - I love H/Hr fics too.   
Hermione2003Potter - I'm disappointed that this series is ending too. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and I feel that when I've completed this fic I've done as much with these characters as I possibly can without becoming boring and predictable.   
Dark Moon - Thanx!   
Lady Greene - Thanx!   
blue-strawberry52 - I hope this was soon enough.   
Sonata - Don't fret - I'll have some more fics coming out. There'll be another H/Hr fic (probably a crossover fic, though I haven't yet decided fully) and another George/Hermione (at least, there will be once I've finished 'Chocolate & Pumpkin Ice Cream'.   
duckies - Yes, there are only two chapters left. Wait - sorry, now there's only _one_ chapter left.   
bookworm4ever - Well, they made it down the altar. Yay! I don't mind about the short review - it's the fact that you acrually reviewed that counts.   
Gem Stone - Thanx!   
The Charmed One - Don't worry - it'll be a good ending, I promise! Probably a bit fluffy and sappy, but a good ending nonetheless.   
Oliverwoodschic - Yes, that part with Parvati and Dean is one of my favourite 'deep and meaningful' moments I've ever written. The idea for that just came out of the blue and I think it worked really well.   
HrryPttrFreak87 - Thanx!   
Viwiel - Yes, a lot of marriage, I have to agreed. Maybe a bit too much, but I can't really take responsibility - the characters just seem to do what they like most of the time.   
mystical - Another person who liked the Dean scene! I'm here to please...   
thefly - Thanx!   
Chavi - Thanx! 


	21. Chapter Twenty One

***

**

HAPPILY EVER AFTER?   
Chapter Twenty One

**

***

It was quite unusual: for once all for inhabitants of the Cottage were present at the same time in the same room. Due to hectic schedules (Lavender practically living at Hogwarts, Ginny organising the release of Eva's new book, Ron spending every other day in Australia and Seamus doing whatever Seamus does), this was a rare occassion. 

Ron had even cook his specialty - a full English breakfast. 

As they talked quietly, discussing their plans for the day, the owl post arrived in a storm of feathers. Disgustedly, Seamus plucked a grey feather out of his fried egg, pulling a face. 

Unsurprisingly, most of them were bills of some kind or advertisements. Lavender also received a postcard from her parents who were taking a third-honeymoon in the Caribbean (her father was going through his fourth mid-life crisis) and Ginny was presented with various fan mail for Eva which had been directed to her house instead. 

Reading one letter, Ron looked as though he was having a heart attack. 

Lavender placed a hand on his shoulder, placing her cup of tea on the table. "Ron?" she asked. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?" 

A huge grin spread across his freckled face. Shaking slightly he passed the letter to her. Her eyes quickly scanned the parchment and the look of concern which had previously been on her face was replaced by one of happiness. She let out of squeal of joy, causing Seamus to raise an eyebrow in amusement. 

"Hermione's gone into labour!" Lavender exclaimed in excitement. 

There was a moment of shocked silence between the four of them, Ron still grinning insanely. Although no words were spoken, the four of them stood at one and began grabbing coats and cloaks and wands as fast as they could, their breakfast's laying forgotten. 

There were four 'pop's' and they Disapparated to St. Mungo's. 

***

"Padma! How much longer are you going to be?" 

Padma Malfoy stuck her head out of the bathroom door and glared at her husband, her wet hair dripping on the carpet. "I'm nearly finished," she told him shortly, and shut the door with a 'bang'. 

With a scowl, Draco leant against the wall. Padma had been in the bathroom getting ready for the past half an hour. In there house there was a constant war between the two of them to see who would get to the bathroom first in the morning. 

They both spent extraordinarily long times getting ready, but the person who had to go second was forced to only have ten or fifteen minutes to get ready. 

There was a strange sound down the hallway. Looking up, Draco saw an owl flapping towards him, its wings scraping the walls as it flew. It landed on Draco's outstretched arm. 

"Aphrodite," he scolded. "What have I told you about staying in the kitchen or living room?" Hermione's owl just blinked solemnly at him. Shaking his head, Draco managed to take the letter off of her and read it silently. As soon as he had taken the letter, Aphrodite left. 

Draco's eyes widened seeing the contents of the letter, and he Disapparated with a 'pop', dropping the letter as he did so. 

Padma emerged a few moments later, her dark hair now perfectly dry and arranged in a high ponytail. "See? I'm finished now," she announced. She looked around in confusion. Where on Earth had Draco gone? 

She spotted a piece of parchment lying on the floor. Knowing for a fact that it hadn't been there before, she picked it up cautiously. For all she knew, it could have been cursed. Reading it, she gasped and Disapparated. 

***

Ron was sat in the waiting room of the maternity ward at St Mungo's. Upon their arrival, they had been directed there and now there were eight people attempting to wait patiently. According to the nurse, Hermione had been bought in at three o'clock in the morning. It was now a little after half past nine. 

He was looking at a picture in his hands. Ginny looked over his shoulder, and gave him a puzzled smile. "I thought Hermione threw that out the window?" she asked. 

_FLASH! _

Hermione opened her eyes slowly. She was extremely comfortable. Suddenly she realised that someone had their arm around her shoulder, and her head was resting on something. 

No, someone. 

It was Harry. 

He had obviously been woken by the flash of the camera as well. They both realised what was going on at the same time and moved quickly away from each other. 

"You know this picture is going in my photo album," said Ron, waving a picture in the air. Around Ginny's neck was an instant camera, and she was wearing a large grin on her face. 

"It was so sweet!" she said. 

"You're lucky Parvati and Lavender didn't see you, that's all I'm saying," said Ron as Harry angrily tore the picture away from Ron. 

"Did I hear my name?" asked a voice at the door. 

"Lavender!" said Ron. He ran over to her and pulled her into a hug before kissing her. 

"Get a room!" said Ginny, pulling a face. Everyone laughed as Ron blushed furiously. 

Harry handed Hermione the photo silently, and Hermione stared at it in surprise. Her and Harry were asleep next to each other. Harry had his left arm draped around Hermione's shoulders, and Hermione had her arm around Harry's waist. Her head was resting on his chest and his head was resting gently on hers. Hermione's eyes widened in shock as the two, her and Harry's sleeping forms, snuggled closer together. 

She looked up when she realised that Harry (the real one) was looking at her with an apprehensive look on his face. Hermione blushed as she looked down at the photo and quickly shredded it into pieces no bigger than her thumbnail. She threw the pieces of the photo out the window when Ron and Ginny weren't looking. 

"She did," Ron confirmed. "But magical instant camera's have a memory. I just created another copy." 

Lavender was now looking at the picture over Ron's other shoulder. "Ah, so _that's_ how it all started," she said in realisation. 

"How what started?" asked Ron. 

Lavender grinned. "Your amazingly brilliant plan to set Harry and Hermione up!" she teased. 

"Hey!" protested Ron. "Don't mock the plan - it worked, didn't it?" 

"Extremely well," commented Ginny. 

"We did nearly ruin it for them a couple of times and undo all our good work," pointed out Lavender with a smirk, reminding them of a certain incident. 

"The Christmas Ball," frowned Ron with a sigh. 

_The music played on, the waltz beating peacefully through the air. The circles they danced in gradually became slower and slower, until they were almost stood still. "It's so peaceful up here," whispered Hermione, looking up at Harry who was a good few inches taller than her. Harry looked down and nodded. _

"Yeah," he agreed. "Much better than the Great Hall." Hermione nodded slightly, still looking up at him. Their eyes locked, deep brown looking into emerald green. Slowly, Harry lowered his face towards hers, Hermione tilting hers upwards. Just as their lips were about to meet, there was a crash as the door to the Astronomy Tower was flung open. A red-faced Ron and Lavender stood there hand in hand. 

Harry and Hermione jumped apart before Ron and Lavender saw anything. Hermione instantly turned back to the telescope, her face tinged with pink. Harry was pretty sure he was blushing as well. 

Ron and Lavender looked just as embarrassed. In fact, they both looked rather disappointed when they realised that Harry and Hermione had been up in the Astronomy Tower alone and they had interrupted. 

"Hi," said Harry lamely. "How are you?" 

"Just fine," said Ron, looking first at Harry and then at Hermione who was paying rather a lot of attention on a star on the horizon. 

"Uh, I was leaving," said Harry. Hermione looked up. 

"Me too," said Hermione. "You can only look at stars for so long before they get boring." 

"I'll walk you back to the Common Room," Harry offered quickly, and Hermione nodded rapidly. They left the Astronomy Tower as quickly as they possibly could. 

"That was _very_ embarrassing," said Lavender, running a hand through her black hair. Once again she had changed it's colour and currently black was supposed to be fashionable. At least it was, according to 'Witch Weekly'. 

"I'll say," agreed Ron. He put the photograph back in the pocket of his robes, being careful not to crease it. He intended on putting it into one of the many albums of Harry and Hermione's newspaper cutting and photographs he had collected over the years for their child (or children, as Ron was positive they would have more than one overall). 

***

"We've been here for three hours!" moaned Draco. "How much longer is this going to take?" 

Ginny looked up from her copy of the Daily Prophet. "It'll take as long as it takes. Giving birth isn't exactly something you can do in five minutes." 

"Yeah," added Seamus. "That's the conception." 

"Seamus!" Ron didn't sound very impressed by this, and he shot him a 'you're-going-out-with-my-sister-so-you'd-better-watch-it' look. Seamus just grinned and Ron shook his head in disbelief. Honestly, Seamus hadn't changed a bit from before he and Lavender had set him and Ginny up. 

Ron snickered, remembering exactly how much Ginny had hated Seamus before they had worked their magic. Or rather, Fred and George's magic. 

"What's so funny?" asked Lavender, raising an eyebrow. 

"Operation Ginger Snap." 

Lavender giggled at this. The plan itself had been successful (eventually), but actually planning the plan had been slightly more difficult. 

_"So how's Operation Ginger Snap going?" _

"Abysmally," reported Ron. "Seamus has his eye on some Hufflepuff girl. He's not interested in my sister any more than I am." 

Lavender raised her eyebrows at this, but ignored this. She was used to Ron saying things before he thought. He did this a lot. "Ginny's not very interested either. She thinks Seamus is kind of weird. That fact that he is _doesn't help much." _

Ron shrugged. "So what now?" 

"Well, we could..." 

"We're not locking them in an empty classroom." 

"Oh. Well, we could..." 

"No, Lavender; we're not handcuffing them together." 

Lavender pouted. "So do you have any brilliant ideas, Mr Genius?" 

Ron tilted his head to one side as he thought. "Not at the moment, but inspiration is sure to strike me at any moment." 

Lavender snorted with laughter. "Lightning is more likely to strike you before an idea!" 

"I wish you'd seen your face when you found out that it had worked and they were actually going out." Ron scowled. 

"It wasn't funny," he protested. 

Lavender nodded. "Yes it was!" Ron's scowl darkened, and he sank further into his seat. "Awww..." teased Lavender. "My poor lil' Ronnikins." Seeing that Lavender clearly wasn't going to stop teasing him, Ron did the only thing he could think of that would stop her from talking: he kissed her. 

_"Get your hands off my sister!" Ron ordered loudly. _

Ginny and Seamus broke off mid-kiss to look at him. Their hands were intertwined, and while Seamus looked half-scared of Ron, Ginny looked angry. 

"What if I don't want him to take his hands off me?" she questioned. 

Ron gaped at her, pale faced. "What did you say?" he asked quietly. Ginny could tell that he was incredibly angry. 

"You heard me," she replied. 

Ron blinked in astonishment, then he turned angrily to Seamus. "What about you? What were you doing kissing my sister?" 

"Enjoying myself," Seamus replied. 

***

"What are they all doing over there?" asked Draco, nodding over in the direction of Ron, Lavender, Seamus and Ginny. 

Padma looked up from where she was reading a Quidditch magazine. "Ron's kissing Lavender." Draco gave her a look that told her that wasn't what he had meant and she grinned. "Reminiscing about Harry and Hermione's relationship, I think." 

Draco's face clouded over. There was one incident in Harry and Hermione's relationship, in their seventh year, which would haunt him for a very long time. Harry had accidentally said something to Hermione that had upset her more than anyone could have imagined and their relationship had very nearly been ruined. 

The fact that they had been working on the Polyjuice Potion with Professor Snape and Draco had been turned into Harry hadn't helped things an awful lot either... 

_"Are you okay?" a feminine voice asked him. Draco snapped out of his daze and looked up. _

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, uh, Parvati," he managed to say. 

"Hmm, let's see, broomstick in one hand, Quaffle in the other. Ravenclaw Quidditch robes. Nope, definitely not Parvati." Padma looked amused. 

"Oh, sorry, Padma," Draco apologised. Padma took a seat next to him. He avoided looking at her; instead his focused his sight on a portrait that was hanging on the other side of the room: the current Head Boy and Girl. More specifically, his focused on Hermione. 

Padma followed his gaze and sighed. She looked straight at him through her tinted sunglasses. "You're never going to have to her, you know." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Hermione. She's never going to be yours." Padma leaned back on her chair and pushed up her sunglasses so they were resting on the top of her head. "I don't mean to sound bitter or pessimistic or anything, Malfoy, but I'm telling the truth. She's never going to love you the way you love her." 

Draco was astonished. "How did you..." 

Padma shrugged. "I didn't. You just confirmed it for me." She gave him a sad smile. 

Draco looked back at the portrait. The painted versions of Harry and Hermione were gazing adoringly at each other. "She kissed me," he said simply. Padma raised her eyebrows. "We tested our Polyjuice potions and through some sick, twisted fate, I became Harry Potter." He sighed, closing his eyes. He rested his head on the back of his chair and continued. "We were walking to Care of Magical Creatures. We looked into each others eyes and she kissed me. And I kissed her." He opened his eyes, a look of worry and emotional pain plastered across his fair features. "I couldn't help it. There it was - the one thing I wanted more than anything. But all the time there was this little voice in the back of my head." 

"What was it saying?" Padma asked softly. 

Draco shrugged. "That it was wrong. I was taking advantage of her. And, of course, the truth." 

"Which was?" 

"That she was kissing Harry, not me." Draco let out a small laugh. "Look at me! Pouring out my heart to someone I barely know." 

Padma smiled. "I know. Not exactly the best introduction. Hey - why don't we start again." Draco looked quizzically at her. She held out her hand and said; "Hi, I'm Padma Patil. Seventh year Prefect and Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team." 

Draco smiled and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure it meet you. I'm Draco Malfoy, also a Seventh year Prefect. I'm Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team." 

Padma waved a hand in front of Draco's face, concern written across her face. "Draco? Draco! Are you all right? You've been staring into space for the last ten minutes." 

The blonde-haired man blinked. "Oh, sorry, Padma. I was miles away." 

His wife screwed up her nose. "What were you thinking about?" 

He smiled warmly at her. "I was thinking about the day that someone told me to stop being a prat and stop pining over Hermione." Padma blushed at this and he kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you," he told her softly. 

"For what exactly?" 

"For telling me that I was a prat." 

Padma grinned. "Anytime." 

***

Lavender shut the curtains of the waiting room with a sigh. It was now nearly six o'clock in the evening. They hadn't heard any news about Hermione or the baby except that 'everything was going smoothly'. Harry had spent the entire day with his wife, so they hadn't seen him either. 

Somehow the news that Hermione had gone into labour had been leaked to the press, and reporters and photographers were now starting to congregate outside the hospital desperate for a glimpse of Harry or any of his friends. 

Ginny had actually fallen asleep against Seamus's shoulder, and it looked as though Seamus was also having a hard time trying to stay awake. 

"I might go and try to find the midwife again," said Ron, "to see if there's any more news." 

Lavender nodded. 

Ron had just opened the door of the waiting room when a babies cry rang out from down the corridor. Lavender and Ron looked at each other in astonishment, and Ginny opened her eyes sleepily. 

There was a question in everyone's eyes: had it happened? 

Their minds were put at ease when Harry ran into the waiting room and skidded to a halt, nearly knocking Ron over. His eyes were bright and a huge grin was plastered across his face. 

As though he couldn't quite believe it was true, Harry managed to say "I'm a father." 

***

Albus, is it really necessary for me to be here?" Severus Snape asked in distaste. 

Professor Albus Dumbledore raised a hand to silence his Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin house. Fawkes, his pet phoenix, let out a note which make the tea cups rattle. It even caused the lid to come off the teapot. 

There was a scratching sound on the other side of the room and Professor Minerva McGonagall's head turned around to look at a large book which was sat on a stand. Professor Filius Flitwick made a strange chuckling noise and muttered something under his breath in excitement. Professor Sprout's head snapped up - she had dozed off a few minutes before. Rubeus Hagrid looked at the book excitedly, while he fumbled in his pockets for an extra large handkerchief. 

The golden quill which had been writing in the book was suddenly still. Albus Dumbledore stood from his chair behind his desk and crossed his office surprisingly quickly. He picked up the large tome and carried it over to his desk. 

This was the book that recorded the births of all magical children in the United Kingdom. Every time a magical child was born, the golden quill would write their name down and when they were due to sent out Hogwarts acceptance letters, it would be Professor McGonagall's job to check the book to see who to sent a letter to. 

He placed it on his desk, turning it so his staff could see the newest name to be inscribed in the book: 

**_Christopher Ronald Potter, July 17th 2000_**

***

**THE END**

***

_**A/N:** That's the end. And I do mean it. That it the end of what I've come to know as the 'Matchmakers Trilogy'. I hate it for this fic to come to an end, but it has.   
A very big thank you to anyone who has ever reviewed this story or the two which preceeded it - it you hadn't reviewed I wouldn't have written it. Also a big thank you to those who review this chapter. In a couple of weeks I may post an additional 'thank you' section for you, though that isn't a definite thing.   
I have enjoyed writing this trilogy immensely and when I look back at it, it's rather odd to see how I've changed my writing style and how the characters have developed. I'm afraid there will not be a sequel (at least, not for the foreseeable future), but there is a chance I will be posting random ficlets from the lives of the Potters in the future.   
I'm not really sure how I should end this final authors note, so I'll just say **"This isn't the last you'll see of silverphoenix."** And it isn't, trust me on that. I have plans to finish 'Harry Potter & the Age of Apocalypse' and there is also a novel-length Harry Potter/Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossover (which will be H/Hr, naturally) in the pipeline, as well as the possibility of another George/Hermione fic. I'm also currenly writing a collaboration with another author called 'The Spaces Between Shadows & Night' which a fifth year H/D fic (yes, that's right: Harry/Draco).   
Thank you._

_Review, Flame, Whatever._

_Here's a thanks section for Chapter Twenty:_   
Dark Moon - That baby is here. I hope you're not too disappointed that it was a boy.   
missy - I'm afraid there won't be a sequel, but I'm glad you like the fic.   
The Farting Menace - There won't be a sequel, sorry. I may do some mini-stories about various events in their lives, but I am not do a sequel.   
Lily H.Potter - Thanx!   
mystical - I hope you liked it!   
The All Red Chameleon - I know. It was horrible typng 'THE END', but I had to do it. Thank you for reviewing.   
Gryffindor Quidditch Angel - Please don't hurt me! *cowers from reviewer* I'm sorry to upset you, but there is no way I could continue this story forever - I'd get bored and then I wouldn't put any effort into it, so it was be a load of rubbish. That's why I feel that I have to stop now.   
rainbow - Thanx, I hope you liked this chapter.   
SilverTears13 - Thank you for such a lovely review! :D I have to say that was one of the more interesting reviews I've ever recieved.   
Rozebunny - Thanx for adding me to your favourites list.   
Oliverwoodschic - I like the girls name you suggested - it could possibly be the name of a future sibling...   
HrryPttrFreak87 - Sadly, I'm not doing another sequel.   
Viwiel - There probably was something that sounded familiar - that's why I'm finishing this fic - I'll just end up repeating myself over and over if I don't. As you requested, this is a long chapter - the longest so far, actually, though it's not super long.   
Sonata - It's really sad that this fic is over - I know how you feel.   
The Charmed One - Glad you like my little jokes! es, there was a happy ending and I hope you liked it.   
bookworm4ever - Yeah, I liked drunk!Parvati too.   
Gwen Potter - When Parati's drunk she does some very strange things. There's just one more chapter of 'Chocolate & Pumpkin Ice Cream' left to go now as well.   
Mushroom - I know - I've never seen another Draco/Padma fic. I really like that pairing personally. We don't have a clue what Padma's like so I can be as creative as I want when it comes to her personality.   
bubsy - Sorry, but there won't be a sequel.   
Gem Stone - Yes, there'll be more stories. Thanks for reviewing.   
Death-Demon Xero - When I read your review, I had the idea for the very last scene of this fic - I hope you liked it (although there's not much action!).   
duckies - Or else? Crumbs... I _really_ hope you liked this chapter, then.   
Emster - Hope you lied this chapter.   
Adhara - no, I'm really sorry, but there won't be a sequel. I need a break from this particular universe for a while. 


End file.
